Answers arnt as clear as I would Like Them To Be
by ASlytherinPrincess
Summary: The full name: And I Find The Answers Arnt as Clear As I would Like Them To Be. Irulan has to find out If her Suspect is really her victim. set after hogwarts.
1. Chapter 1 and 2

Chapter 1

_So give me all your poison, and give me all your pills, and give me all your hopeless hearts and make me ill..._

I sat up quickly, and started frantically searching for my cell phone which was somewhere in the war zone I called a room. Reaching for where I though my phone was, I tumbled off my bed, the pillows and blanket coming with me.

''Hello?'' I said, putting my phone to my ear.

_So give me all your poison and give me all your pills, and give me all your hopeless hearts, and make me ill..._

''Damnit'' I growled, looking at my ''phone'' and realizing it was a shoe. I searched through my piles of clothes, until I found the accursed thing. ''Hello?''

''Irulan?'' the person on the other line said who else would be calling my house at 2:45 in the morning, but my partner?

''Can't I ever get a full night's sleep?''

''If I can't you can't'' he said. ''Anyways, we've got another homicide, you better get here quick...'' So my partner gave the address, and I scribbled it quickly on a spare piece of parchment.

''Alright, I'll be there soon'' I said, closing my phone, and laying back on the floor, with my phone closed tightly in my hand. I had every intention of falling back asleep for another ten minutes, until _so give me all your poison and give me all your pills, and give me all your hopeless hearts and make me ill,_ started blasting in my ear. ''Anderson'' I said into the receiver.

''I thought I said get up?''

''Bite me Harry. I'm on my way'' I said.

''I better not have to call you again'' he said.

''I'm up okay?'' I said, sitting up.

''Alright'' Harry said, followed by a click, then the dial tone. _Doesn't anyone say goodbye anymore?_ I thought, closing my phone and standing up.

I threw on a pair of jeans, and a t-shirt, before pulling on my long black cloak and my converse. I grabbed the piece of parchment, and concentrated hard on the address Harry had given me, until my entire body vanished with a loud _Crack._ I was moving at a very fast speed, almost like traveling by floo powder, only ten times more nauseating. I stopped abruptly almost falling over. As I pushed my stomach back into it's proper place, I realized I was outside of a very beautiful house covered in thick vines, and moss. Aurors were crawling all over the property like ants in an anthill, I suspected Harry was inside.

I waked into the house and found Harry standing in the living room, ''what happened?'' I asked.

''Deatheaters, killed the whole family. The wife and child are upstairs'' he replied.

''Cause of death?'' I asked. Harry turned and looked at me. ''What? I have to ask.''

''Killing curse''' he said, then he smiled.

''Why are you smiling?'' I asked, slowly.

''Because we have who did it''

''Impossible!''

''Actually it's not, the husband was down here, and had a gun, and shot him. He was unconscious when we got here''

''Who was it?''

''Malfoy'' he said proudly. _That can't be possible. He should have known better, what in the he-_ my thoughts were cut short. ''Irulan, are you okay?''

''Has anyone canvassed the neighbors?'' I asked.

''Ron and Hermione are on it now'' 

''Where's the M.E.?''

''Right here'' someone said behind me. I turned around and saw Alicia Spinnet, She walked over to the body and kneeled down before looking back up at Harry and I. ''Guess what? He's dead''

''Thanks, that helped a lot'' I said. ''There are two more bodies upstairs''

''Alright'' Alicia said.

''Okay, neighbor next door who is a light sleeper, said that he heard the back door being busted in around 1:30. He saw green flashes come from the windows of the upstairs rooms around 1:35. Then he saw another green flash from the downstairs around 1:50, THEN the gun.'' Hermione said, walking into the living room with Harry and I.

''Then around 2:15, someone ran out of the front door, and they didn't look to be shot'' Ron added.

''Did he give you a description?'' Harry asked.

Ron flipped through his notepad, ''Tall, male, dark hair in the street light''

''That's helpful,'' I said, sarcastically.

''Found this is in the bushes,'' Greg, a member of the CSU said, holding a wand.

I pulled my wand out of the pocket in my cloak and walked up to him, placing the tip of my wand to the tip of the one he had. _''Prior Incantato''_ I said.

From the tips of the wands, came the head, followed by, the legs and torso of the man on the floor. ''Whats your name?'' I asked him. 

''Micheal Spevak'' the ghost replied, obviously confused. 

''Did you see who did this to you?'' Hermione asked.

''It was a man, tall, dark hair, blue eyes'' he replied.

''Did you shoot him?'' I asked.

''No, infact I was too terrified to fire.'' he said as he began to fade.

''Well, you have your murder weapon'' Greg said.

''Get that wand to Mr. Ollivander, I want to know who it belongs to.'' Harry said.

''Right'' Greg said, dissapparating. I had my murder weapon, not my murderer.

''What we already have is enough to convict Malfoy'' Ron said, matter-of-factly.

''And thanks to some very expensive law suits, he also has the right to a speedy arraignment, meaning 24 hours'' I said.

''We're still going to need more that what evidence we already have'' Hermione pointed out.

''Alright, Ron you stay here with Alicia. Hermione, you find out what connection to the Wizarding world the Spevaks had. Irulan, go sit with Malfoy until he wakes up'' Harry said.

''What are you going to do?'' Ron asked.

''Look through files of known Deatheaters that are male, tall, and have dark hair and blue eyes'' Harry replied. 

''Please be somewhat civil when you interview them Harry, We've gotten in trouble with the Wizengamont because of your conduct more than once'' I warned him before dissapparating to St. Mungo's...

Chapter 2

I appeared in the Reception Area of St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries. It was nearly four o'clock in the morning and there was already a group of people there. I had to push through the line because I couldn't wait, the longer I waited the longer Draco had to wake up and call an Advocate in his defense.

I pushed past a young woman that was extremely giggle ridden. ''You can't do that!'' said the disgruntled and abused looking Welcome Witch.

''Actually, I can. I need you to tell me what room Draco Malfoy is in'' I said.

''On whose authority?'' she demanded.

_She is so lucky I'm in a relatively good mood._ I thought, pulling my badge from the inside of my cloak. ''Mine. Now I unless you want me to charge you with obstruction, I suggest you tell me what room Healers took Draco Malfoy to''.

The woman nodded, and ran her finger the long list infront of her. ''Ground floor, room 036''.

''Thank you kindly'' I said, putting my badge back into the folds of my cloak. I turned around and apologized to the woman that was giggling uncontrollably, before I walked across the Reception Area and through a set of double doors, entering the ''Artifact Accident'' ward.

A sign hung from the ceiling that read _Healer in charge; Ava Pargman. Trainee Healer; Dean Thomas_ I smiled, Dean Thomas is a very good friend of mine. I walked through the ward, looking for Draco's room, and occasionally catching glances inside other rooms. Room 023 had a man, who had somehow managed to get a cauldron stuck on his head. He was walking around his room, and ran into the wall instead, I chuckled under my breath as I walked away and heard him shouting many curses under his breath but were echoing in the cauldron. The hall dropped off around a corner and a sign on the wall read; Rooms 030-040, and the sign on the ceiling read ''Muggle ''Artifact'' Induced Injuries'' _Yep, he'd be down there._ I thought rounding the corner.

Draco was the only one in his room, laying on the bed, his blonde hair now long enough to fall gracefully into his face. As I got closer, I saw the white cloth wrapped around his head and the blood that was starting to seep through. Harry hadn't mentioned anything about an injuy to Draco's head. Then again, why would he? Harry hates Malfoy with a passion that burns like two-thousand suns, why would he care if he was hurt? _Blunt-Force trauma to the head is something worth mentioning Harry!_ I shouted in my head. 

I sat down in the chair on the right side of Draco's bed, and leaned forward onto my knees, rubbing my temples clockwise. ''Who're you?'' I looked up, seeing an older man with no rimmed square glasses, behind which bright blue eyes shone. ''Ah, Miss Anderson.''

''Mr. Langan'' I said standing up. ''I assume you're going to be representing Mr. Malfoy here?''

''You assume right'' he said. _Damnit to hell, Langan is the best Advocate in London! But I suppose you can afford the best with Daddy's money._ I thought.

''Why are you here?'' he asked.

''I was told to wait with Mr. Malfoy until he woke up to make sure that you don't make him unavailable to us'' I replied cooly.

''Who are you?'' I looked down, and saw Draco's stormy blue eyes looking up at me. But they weren't the same set of icy blue eyes that I saw everyday at Hogwart's. His eyes were bright and wide, like a five-year-old's, curious, wanting to know everything around him.

''Irulan Anderson'' I said.

''Do I know you?'' he asked, furrowing his dirty-blonde eyebrows in confusion.

''...yes'' I replied slowly.

''Do you know who you are Mr. Malfoy?'' Langan asked. Draco stared blankly at him, blinking a few times. _This is not good!_ I thought, pulling my phone form my pocket and dialing Harry's cell.

''Hello?''

''Harry, we have a problem...'' I said.

''Malfoy's not dead is he?''

''You wish'' I said, ''He has no bloody clue who the hell he is!''

''Shit'' Harry sighed. ''Well, you might as well get back here. Hermione found something interesting''

''Alright, I'll be there soon'' I said, hanging up my phone and putting it back into my pocket.

''I'll see you in Wizengamot'' Langan said, smirking at me. I forced a smile before I walked out of Draco's hospital room.


	2. Chapter 3 and 4

chapter 3

As I was walking back through the Artifact Accident ward, I could not believe that Draco had no clue who he is, or what happened. We're going to have a hell of a time proving anything if he can't remember what happened, and Veritaserum would do no good, because you need to know what happened to be able to tell the truth about it. _I wonder if there's a potion to recall memories?_ I thought. 

''Miss Anderson!'' someone shouted.

I turned around seeing a young woman with brown ringlettes in her hair running toward me with a file in her hands. ''I'm guessing you're the healer in charge? Ava Pargman?''

''That's me'' she said.

''What can I do for you?'' I asked.

''Well, it's not what you can do for me, but more what I can do for you'' she said, handing me the file. ''In that file is the bullet that hit Mr. Malfoy. And an explaination of what I think may have happened.''

''So you find it odd that Draco was shot?'' I asked.

''More than odd. If the muggle at the scene had indeed shot Mr. Malfoy, the bullet would have gone through his leg, and you would have found the bullet at the scene, because the bullet is from a high powered gun.'' Ava said. ''However, when I examined the wound when I retreived the bullet, I found that the entry wound had somewhat of an upward angle.''

''So the muggle didn't shoot him...'' I said matter-of-factly.

''Exactly.'' she said.

''Well thank you, you've helped more than you think you have'' I said.

''You're welcome'' Ava said, smiling at me.

''What can you tell me about the injury to his head?'' I asked.

''I found pieces of glass in his hair, I suspect that a glass vase was smashed over his head, which is what caused him to loose his memory'' she said.

''Wonderful...'' I said sarcastically. ''Well, thank you again''. Ava nodded and walked away.

''Level two, Department of Magical Law Enforcement, including the Improper Use of Magic Office, Auror Headquaters, and Wizengamot Administration Services'' the cool female voice in the elevator said. I've heard that voice for the past two years and it's really starting to get on my nerves. Sighing I stepped out of the elevator and started walking down the hall until I walked through a set of large oak doors. The large open area beyond the doors was covered nearly wall to wall with cubicles. Memos shaped like little paper airplanes, zoomed in and out of cubicles like little X-71's. A lopsided sign on the cubicle nearest the elevator read AUROR HEADQUARTERS.

Continuing my venture to mine, Harry's, Ron's and Hermione's corner, I avoided many memos, each one being a close call. _These things are going to poke someone's eye out one day!_ I thought irritably. Every cubicle was covered with everything from wanted posters, to pictures of familes, to posters of favorite quidditch teams, to _Daily Prophet_ articles. My cbuicle held no such items. There is no peticular witch or wizard that I am set on catching, I have no pictures of my family having been orphaned as a child and left to a Wizarding orphanage (in fact the only thing I have of my family's is my grandfather's dog tags from WWII and my father's dog tags, which never leave my neck), I'm not a big fan of quidditch, and any article in _Daily Prophet_ that was written about me, wasn't worth putting up.

''Hey'' I said walking over to Harry, Ron and Hermione.

''How's Malfoy?'' Ron asked.

''Woke up not long ago, has no idea who he is...'' I said, turning to Harry. ''Speaking of Malfoy, Harry you could have told me that Draco had been hit in the head!''

''I didn't think it was that important'' Harry said shrugging.

''_Everything_ is important!'' I shouted. ''Especially if our Perp turns out to be our victim!''

''What?'' They shouted, loud enough to cause the whole of headquarters to stop whatever they were doing.

''Do you three always have to do that?'' Someone shouted.

''Sorry!'' Harry shouted.

I sighed irritably before laying the file Ava gave me on Ron's desk, around which we were all standing. ''There _was_ someone else in that house with Draco. Otherwise, Draco would not have been shot. The muggle's ghost said he didn't fire the gun, what the healer found supports that'' I said.

''What did she find?'' Hermione asked.

''This is the bullet that was embedded in Draco's leg,'' I said pulling out a small plastic bagm that had the bullet of a .38 magnum in it. ''It had an upward angle through his leg, if the muggle had shot him the bullet would have gone straight through. The blow to the head is what caused his memory loss. I think it's a frame job''

Suddenly a memo flew right by my head, and Harry caught it, immediately unfolding it. ''Well, this isn't the first time you've been wrong Irulan'' Harry said.

''What?'' I said snatching the memo from Harry. It was from Mr. Ollivander, saying that the wand we sent him that Greg found at the Spevak's was 10.5 inches, made of maghogany, with a dragon-heartstring core, that belonged...to Draco Malfoy.

_Harry's hatred for Draco had blinded him to what is right infront of his face._ I thought. ''That's right Harry, Draco somehow managed to hit himself over the head, shoot himself in the leg, and then ditch his wand in the bushes outside.'' I commented. ''Not to mention Micheal Spevak's ghost told us that Draco didn't kill him!''

''Irulan -'' I cut Ron off.

''I know you three don't particularly like Draco, but we don't get to pick the vic.'' I said.

''Well, all the evidence points to him.'' Hermione said. She had me there, all of the evidence (at least what wasn't forensic) pointed to Draco. And I already know that in Draco's Wizengamot hearing, the committee won't care about forensics, all they'll care about is that his wand was the one that killed Micheal Spevak.

chapter 4

''Hermione, what did you find?'' I asked, remembering that whatever she found was the reason I was there.

''Oh yeah,'' she said, walking over to her cubicle, and walking back around holding a file. ''Micheal Spevak wasn't a muggle, he was a squib''

''Okay'' I said.

''He owned a shipping company...'' she said.

''And someone I interviewed said that Spevak would use his shipping company to bring in ingredients used in illegal potions'' Harry said.

''But if he's bringing in thier ingreients, why kill him?'' Ron wondered.

''Because he wanted out. He finally realized what he was getting his family into'' Harry said.

''That's a motive for murder'' Hermione said.

''What's the best we can charge Malfoy with?'' Ron asked me.

''Accessory to murder, and if we're lucky we can get him on first degree murder'' I said. Another memo flew over to us, but this one was for me.

I sighed and unfolded it. ''What's it say?'' Harry asked.

''I'm due in Wizengamot in an hour'' I said, ''I'm gonna go change''. I folded up the memo and stuffed it in my back pocket, before I headed to the Crib.

Believe it or not, Auror Headquarters has two levels. The first is where all of our desks and stuff are, and the second is like one huge dorm for all of us because we can't always go home in the middle of a case can we?

I walked into the Crib which is a circular room with five different hallways because -let's face it- there are a lot of aurors. I walked down the second hallway from the left, headed toward my room that I shared with Hermione.

''Irulan'' I turned and saw Harry.

''What?'' I asked.

''Are you okay?'' he asked.

''I'm fine,'' I said continuing to walk down the hall until I reached the door that said **Granger & Anderson**.

I opened the door and walked in. There were two beds on either side of the room, a nightstand in between with a clock. We also had a bathroom and a closet.

''Are you sure you're okay?'' Harry asked sitting on my bed.

''Why am I the one always going to Wizengamot?'' I asked going into the closet and pulling out a nice pant suit.

''Because you're the best'' Harry said.

I went into the bathroom, and changed into the pant suit, ''I'm 19 Harry, how many ninteen year old's do you know that practically live at their jobs?'' I said walking out of the bathroom and putting my long dark red hair in a ponytail.

''Other and me, you, Ron, and Hermione?'' Harry said.

I didn't listen to him, ''I mean I have seen more horrific things than most of the veteran aurors! I've seen rape, torture, murder, RDK's, dismemberment, cannibalism, you name it, I've probably seen it!''

''Irulan, relax will you?''

''Why can't Hermione go to Wizengamot once in awhile? She's about as good as I am'' I said, pulling on a pair of nice dress boots. I turned to Harry, ''How do I look?''

''Perfect, same as you always do when you go to Wizengamot'' he said.

''I'm just getting tired of being the one going to Wizengamot all the time'' I said.

''I know you are'' Harry said. ''But you're really good at what you do''

I smiled, ''I am aren't I?''. Harry just smiled, ''Okay, I need to run by my desk and grab my files, are you gonna walk down with me?''

''Don't I always?'' he said. ''What courtroom are you in?''

''Your favorite one; Ten'' I said, Harry shuddered. Courtroom Ten is the same one that Harry had to go to for his hearing four years ago. I smoothed down my top before heading out of mine and Hermione's room with Harry. I grabbed everything from my desk, and Harry and I got onto the elevator.

''Department of Mysteries'' the cool female voice said. The elevator doors rattled open, to a long dark hallway with no doors or windows, except for the plain black set at the end.

We turned left, heading down a flight of stairs, ''Are you nervous?'' Harry asked.

''I'm always nervous before a hearing'' I said.

''You'll do fine'' he said. We reached the bottom of the stairs and walked along another corridor with rough stone walls, and torches in brackets.

''Good luck Irulan'' Harry said when we reached the door to courtroon ten.

''I'll see you later Harry'' I said, opening the door and walking in. Large benches rose on either side of me, which were filled with people, who also had hearings today. I sat down and looked over the files, while the Wizengamot went through the cases on their docket for that day.

''Docket number 12-2389,'' Percy said. _That's me,_ I thought standing up. I made my way from the benches and stood behins a small podieum. Langan stood behind a small table to my left. Percy walked over to me and I handed him a piece of parchment, ''People vs. Draco Malfoy. Charges being murder in the first degree, and accessory to murder'' he walked over to the Wizengamot committe.

''Mr. Langan how does your client plea?''

''Not guilty'' Langan said.

''Mss Anderson?''

''Remand your honors'' I said.

''Your honors, my client is laying in a St. Mungo's hospital bed with no recollection of who he is'' Langan said.

''We consider him a potential flight risk'' I said.

''He's in a hospital bed for Chris'sakes!'' Langan said.

''Mr. Malfoy has a number of financial assests, including a jet, a yacht -''

''So we're punishing my client for being wealthy?''

''I call an eight digit inheritance a little more than wealthy'' I said.

''Objection!''

''Withdrawn!''

''Well Miss Anderson, since you are so passionate about remand. We'll grant it. Draco Malfoy is hearby remanded to your custody''

You see, remand in the wizarding world, and remand in the muggle world are two different things. Remand in the muggle world means you're taken to prison to await trial. Remand in the wizarding world, means the custody of a potential murderer, is given to an auror. Stupid isn't it?

I suddenly found it hard to breathe. My lungs completely shut down, and my eyes rolled into the back of my head. I swayed on the spot, before falling to the ground...


	3. Chapter 5 and 6

chapter 5

''Irulan, Irulan wake up'' someone said. _Oh God, please let me be dead,_ I thought opening my eyes. I was in a hospital bed at St. Mungo's, _Damnit!_

''What happened?'' I asked.

''You had a panic attack'' Harry replied.

''Great'' I said sitting up.

''What happened in Wizengamot?'' Ron asked.

''Malfoy was remanded'' I said.

''To whose custody?'' Hermione asked.

I took in a breath to say something, but someone answered for me, ''Irulan's''. All of our heads swiveled to the door. A tall black wizard with a gold hoop in one ear was standing in the door way; Kingsley Shaklebolt, our Head.

''What?'' Harry asked.

''Draco Malfoy was remanded to Irulan's custody'' Kingsley said. ''You shouldn't piss off the Wizemgamot Committee so much''

''They're all just jealous!'' I said swinging my legs over the edge of the bed and standing up.

''Irulan, I really hate to do this to you -'' I cut Kingsley off.

''You're desking me''

''I have no choice since Draco was put to your custody'' he said.

I sighed, ''I thought so'' _At least I get out of hearings!_

''You can't desk her, we need her!'' Ron protested.

''I'm sorry you guys, I don't want to desk her either but I have to. You can still ask her for help with the case she just won't be able to go on location'' Kingsley said.

''It's okay guys, I'll be fine'' I said.

''You do realized Malfoy is going to be living with you right?'' Harry said.

''Yes, and I'm just fine with that'' I said with a smirk.

''I know that smirk, that smirk is not good'' Ron said.

''When is he being released from the hospital?'' I asked.

''As soon as you're ready to leave'' Kingsley said.

''Did the healers give you an estimated time of when he'll be himself again?''

''A few days to a week tops'' Harry answered.

''Alright, well I'm ready to leave'' I said.

I walked into Draco's hospital room to see him putting on a shirt, ''Miss Anderson, if anything happens to my client, I will hold you fully responsible and you'll find yourself facing an inquiry'' Langan said. He was just sore that I actually got the Wizengamot to remand Draco.

''Your client will be just fine Mr. Langan. Healers say that he'll be back to himself in a few days'' I said.

Draco turned around when I started talking, he saw me and smiled. Draco Malfoy had smiled. At the time I thought it was strange but I had to remember that he didn't know who the hell he was. ''You're...Irulan right?'' he asked.

''Yep, that's me'' I said. ''Are you ready?''

''Where am I going?'' he asked looking between Langan and myself.

''You're going to be living with Miss Anderson for the duration of the Auror's investigation'' Langan said.

''Oh, okay...?'' Draco said.

''Are you ready to go?'' I asked again.

''Yeah, I am. But don't I need clothes and stuff?'' he said.

''Uh, you'll have stuff at my house'' I said. _I think._

''Alright, then I'm ready'' he said. ''Good-bye Mr. Langan''

''I mean what I said Anderson'' Langan said.

''I bet you did'' I said, trying not to be sarcastic.

Draco and I arrived at my house, via the portkey that I always use.

''Where am I going to be staying?'' he asked.

''Your room is upstairs, second door on the right'' I replied. That was my spare bedroom that I always used for my friends if they needed a place to stay. Draco went upstairs and I looked around, a little confused, ''Romeo!''. I heard a cat's meow and a red cat with a white spot around one eye and a black paw came trotting around the corner and rubbed against my leg.

''Hey buddy!'' I picked up my cat, ''Did you miss me?'' he meowed in reply.

**_Ding Dong_** came my doorbell. _Bet I know who it is,_ I thought, putting Romeo down and walking to my front door.

Pulling open my front door, I was not suprised to see Harry standing on my front stoop with a trunk. ''Harry, this is all so sudden, shouldn't we wait a few months before moving in together?'' I said jokingly.

Harry smiled and rolled his eyes, ''Here's Malfoy's stuff that we got from his place. Of course it took a warrant to do so''

''Okay thanks'' I siad, bending down and grabbing a hold of the handle on the trunk. I tried to drag it into my house, but to no avail. ''Jesus H. Christ! What the hell is in this thing?''

Harry started laughing at me, ''Having technical difficulties?''

I glared at him before pulling out my wand, ''_Locomotor mortis_''. Draco's trunk levitated a few inches off the ground, and floated past me into the entrance hall.

''If he does anything don't hesitate to use force. And tell me if he does, I'll kill him'' Harry said. He's alwayd been protective of me, ever since we were in school. Harry's the closest thing to a brother I've ever had. There had never been any romantic feelings between the two of us, we tried it in sixth year, lasted three days.

''He's not going to do anything'' I said.

''He better not, I'll kill him''

''You'll find any reason to kill him'' I said.

''True, but hey I've got to go find more evidence against him'' Harry said pushing his glasses further up on his nose.

''Alright, see you later Sexy'' I said.

Harry smiled and kissed my cheek, ''Bye Babe'' with that he dissapparated with a crack. I smiled to myself, Harry and I have had those nicknames for eachother for as long as I can remember.

''Draco, your stuff is here!'' I shouted levitating his trunk up the stairs and into the room where he was going to be staying.

''Oh, thanks'' he said.

''You're welcome. I'm going to take a shower, and then a nap, I've been up since quarter to three this morning'' I said, ''You can watch TV, there's food in the fridge, uh, you can unpack or whatever. I have only one rule and that's stay out of my room''

''Okay'' he said._This is so weird, it was so much easier to deal with him when he was a prick,_ I thought. _He'll be back to himself in a few days. sigh Damn._ I left Draco's room and walked into my own to get ready to take a shower, maybe a bath.

Chapter 6

The next day I woke up around 9:30 having got a nice full night's rest. Checking on Draco to make sure he was still here, which he was. Not like he'd be able to leave anyway, once remanded the house where the accused is staying gets a charm put on it so that the accused isn't allowed to leave unless I'm with them. I walked down into the kitchen and turned on a pot of coffee, thinking back to the first time I ever met Draco Malfoy...

_In my first year at Hogwart's, I had arrived a week late because I was in the Hospital. When I got to Hogwart's I was sorted privatly in Dumbledore's office and wound up in Gryffindor. I was late for my first class, running through the halls even though my doctor (yes doctor not healer) told me I shouldn't. when I rounded a corner, I ran directly into someone, knocking both of us down._

''Why don't you watch where you're going?'' someone shouted.

''I'm sorry, I'm in a hurry'' I said, standing up and picking up my messenger bag. The boy picked himself up off the floor, back then he was shorter than me, his hair was slicked back and his eyes were as cold as ice. He raised an eyebrow and looked me up and down, I had already developed a little more than some of the other girls in my year.

''I'm Draco; Draco Malfoy'' he said.

''Irulan Anderson'' I said.

''I didn't see you the first day, why?'' he asked.

''I was in the hospital'' I replied. ''I got sorted yesterday''

''What house?'' he asked.

**Is he that stupid?** I thought. ''Do you not see the crest on my robes?''

''Oh, you're a Gryffindor'' he sneeered, then he walked by me, bumping itno my shoulder as he did.

''Prick'' I mumbled...

I was jolted from my thoughts when Romeo nuzzled against my leg.

''G'morning Romeo'' I said, pouring myself a cup of coffee. I put some milk and sugar into my cup and sat down at the kitchen table...

_In my sixth year, I wasn't at school a lot, but whenever I was it seemed that I ran into Draco more often than was natural. I had just come back from the library, and had a book infront of me, reading as I walked when I ran right into him._

Draco must've been deep in thought because he's the one that fell over not me. ''Sorry'' I said, reaching my hand out to him. Suprisingly he took it, but when he reached up his hand his sleeve fell up, there wera a nmber of cuts and scabs going in every direction on his forearm.

I grabbed his arm with a vice grip, and forced his sleeve up, he didn't even try to stop me. ''Draco, you're cutting yourself, why?''

''What do you care Anderson?'' he snapped. Okay, so I was being a bit of a hypocrit seeing as how I had some of my own self-inflicted wounds. It just really suprised me and struck me as odd that the one person everyone thought had the perfect life, was cutting himself. I traced my finger over the rough surface of the cuts, and looked up at him. When his eyes met mine, they seemed to have softened.

_He sighed, ''My life isn't as perfect as everyone thinks it is Irulan. I don't know what else to do'' I took a breath to say something, but he put his finger to my lips to stop me. ''I can't talk to anyone in my house, I'd get my ass kicked. And everyone else hates me...''_

He pulled his arm out of my grip and walked past me. I grabbed his hand, he looked back at me, but I was looking at the floor. ''I don't hate you Draco.'' I said quietly. I let go of his hand, but he grabbed my arm, and spun me back around before he crashed his lips onto mine. As quickly as it begun, he pulled away and seemed to have vanished...

I took a sip of my coffee, that was both the first and last time Draco kissed me. After that day I guess you could say that I became his Guardian Angel. I watched him, made sure things that I could control went well for him. He never figured out it was me. No, I didn't like Draco, actually I had my eye on Terry Boot, a good looking Ravenclaw in my year.

Setting my coffee on the table I got up and walked to the secretary desk in the living room. Opening the top drawer, I pulled out a small journal where I wrote my poems. I was just about to open it and read some of them, when Draco appeared out of nowhere.

''Morning''

I jumped and quickly put the journal back in it's place. ''Morning'' I said. ''There's coffee in the kitchen if you want some''

''Alright'' he said turning around and walking into the kitchen pouring himself a cup of coffee. I sat back in my chair when a large tawny colored owl flew in through the open window and landed infront of me. Taking the _Daily Prophet_ from it's beak I slipped a few knuts into the pouch on it's leg before it flew off.

In my periphial (?) vision I saw Draco sit down across from me and take a sip of his coffee. ''Irulan, can I ask you a question?''

''yeah, sure'' I said.

''What was I like before I lost my memory?'' he asked.

I folded up the paper and laid it down on the table infront of me. ''Well Draco, yesterday would be the first time I saw you in almost three years''

''So we weren't friends?''

''Far from it, we hated eachother. Actually if you hadn't lost your memory we'd still hate eachother'' I said.

''I find that hard to believe'' he said.

''Believe it Draco. You and I aren't friends'' I said. ''And we're not going to start now, when your memory comes back you won't remember any of this. So there's no point in starting one now'' I picked up the paper again and started reading. I heard Draco get up from his chair and walk back up to his room. I didn't see him the rest of the day.

Okay, so maybe I was being a bit of a bitch, but I have to start treating him the way I would if he did have his memory, they way he'll get his memory back sooner...did that make sense?


	4. Chapter 7 and 8

chapter 7

dracos Point Of view:

_I was headed to the Hospital Wing, McGonnagal had seen the cuts on my forearm when I raised my hand to answer a question. Therefore, sent me to the Hospital Wing, like it was going to help. I was deep in thought when I rounded a corner and ra into someone, knocking me down._

''Sorry.'' someone said. I looked up, seeimg Irulan Anderson, she was holding her hand out to me. I took her hand which seemed to fit perfectly into my own. However, as I did my sleeve rolled up revealing my forearm.

Irulan wrapped her long slender fingers around my wrist in a rather firm grip, ''Draco, you're cutting yourself, why?'' she asked.

''What do you care Anderson?'' I snapped. But my comment seemed to have no effect on her. She ran the pads of her fingers over the cuts on my arm, and looked up at me. Irulan's eyes never were easy to read, but maybe she actually did care. 

_I sighed, ''My life isn't as perfect as everyone thinks it is Irulan. I don't know what else to do.'' She took in a breath to say something, but I put my finger to her lips to stop her, ''I can't talk to anyone in my house, I'd get my ass kicked. And everyone else hates me...''_

I pulled my arm out her grip and walked past her, but she grabbed my hand. I looked back at her, but she was looking at the floor, ''I don't hate you Draco.'' she said quietly, but I heard her. She dropped my hand, I grabbed her arm and spun her back around, pressing my lips to her's. I had expected her to push me off and smack me, but she never did. It was my way of thanking her I guess. I pulled back, she looked completely suprised at what I had just done, I was suprised with myself. I walked around the corner and looked around and watched as Irulan ran her tougne across her bottom lip, and leaned against the wall before laughing lightly to herself and walking away...

I sat up quickly, running my hands through my hair. I shook my head and looked around, I definately was not in my own room. _Where the hell am I?_ I thought with a slight panic. I quickly got out of bed, and walked out of the foreign room into the hallway. Cautiously, I descended the stairs and entered the kitchen. There was a girl standing at the counter, reading the paper. _Please tell me that's not who I think it is!_ I thought.

The girl became aware of my presence and turned around, it was Irulan! She smiled at me, like it was completely normal for me to be standing in her kitchen.

''Look, Draco about yesterday, I'm really sorry I snapped at you the way I did...'' _Did she just call me by my first name?_ I thought. _Someone please tell me I'm drunk or dreaming!_ I ran my hand over my face, Irulan wore a look of concern on her face. ''Draco, are you okay?''

''Answer me one question; Why am I in your house?'' I demanded. Irulan looked suprised for a moment, before she started laughing. LAUGHING! How could she find this funny? ''Why are you laughing?''

She stopped and looked at me, a small smile on her face, ''I see you have your memory back''

''What?''

''Draco, for the past two days, you've been in my custody with no idea who you are'' she said.

''Why am I at your house?'' I asked.

''Because you were remanded to my custody'' she replied.

''What did I do?''

Irulan sighed, poured a cup of coffee and handed it to me. ''You were found unconsious at a murder scene. And your wand was found discarded outside.''

That's when I remembered what happened, ''But I didn't do anything!''

''Well, all evidence points to you my friend'' she said.

I felt like I was about to collapse. I was remanded to Irulan's custody, and I didn't even do anything! This is riddiculous! I took a sip of the coffee she gave me, and sat down at the kitchen table.

Irulan leaned forward on her hands across from me, ''Draco I need you to tell me who you were with at the Spevak's''

I looked up at her, ''Why are you doing this?''

''Because, I know you didn't do it. And unless you tell me who else was with you, you're going to Azkaban, and I'll be the one sending you there'' she said. I knew she wasn't kidding either. The look in her eye, the tone of her voice, everything hinted that she was deadly serious. I was not about to wind up like my father.

I took a breath, but Irulan cut me off, ''Keep in mind, that if you lie to me, you will go to Azkaban, and I will personally bring the dementor to your cell''

I nodded, ''I didn't do it. I didn't kill anyone, I refuse to be my father!''

''Then I need to know what happened!'' she said. _God, she suddenly turned auror on me,_ I thought. ''You know what, I have a better idea, go get dressed''

''Huh?''

''Go get dressed, we're going to headquarters. No one's going to believe me if I tell them what you said, because then it becomes Hear-Say'' she said, kind of talking to herself instead of me. ''Just go get dressed''

''Okay...'' I said slowly, standing up. I walked back to my room with Irulan following me, mumbling under her breath. _This girl is crazy!_ I thought, entering ''my room'' and getting dressed. A few rooms down I could hear I heard Irulan in her room talking to someone. The problem was, I only heard her half of the conversation.

chapter 8

''Level two, Department of Magical Law Enforcement, including the Improper Use of Magic Office, Auror Headquaters, and Wizengamot Administration Services'' the cool female voice said as the gate to the lift rattled open.

''Why do I have to wear this?'' Draco asked pointing to the badge pinned to his shirt.

''Because you're a visitor Draco'' I said, pushing open the large oak doors entering Auror Headquarters.

''God, do you people have any means of organization?'' Draco said, dogging a few memos.

''We've had the airplanes for quite awhile, longer than I've been here anyway. They're better than owls'' I said.

''I guess you're right'' he said.

''Your dad never once took you to work with him?'' I asked, knowing his father worked (notice _ed_) for the Ministry.

''No.'' he said flatly. _Ouch, that hurt,_ I thought. I knew all hell was probably going to break loose because I brought Draco, but whatever.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione were all gathered around Hermione's desk looking at something on the desk top.

''Hey,'' I said. At the sound of my voice, all three of them turned around.

''Irulan, you're not supposed to be here'' Hermione said.

And neither is he!'' Harry said pointing to Draco.

Although he was to my left and a little behind me, I know he smirked, ''I know you've missed me Potter''

''Like a plague Malfoy'' Harry spat.

Draco put a hand over his heart, ''That hurt Scarhead, really it did. And to think I came all the way down here to see you!'' Every word that fell out of his mouth dripped with acid and sarcasam, and false hurt.

''Shut it Malfoy!'' Harry said walking up to Draco, I stepped infront of him. That didn't stop Harry from getting in Draco's face. Me being inbetween them didn't really help much, considering I'm shorter than both of them by about five inches, meaning I come about to both their noses. ''You have no idea how much I would love to hurt you right now''

I waved my arms over my head, ''Hey! Short person in line of fire, we don't want any casualties'' I said. I put my hands on Harry's chesy and pushed him back, ''You -'' I pointed to Harry, ''- back off. And you -'' I turned to Draco, ''- Keep in mind that you are surrounded by aurors. I'd do a better job of holding my tougne if I were you''. Draco snorted and rolled his eyes, _I feel like I'm babysitting!_ I thought.

''Anyway...why _are_ you here?'' Hermione asked.

''Is there an open interview room?'' I asked.

''Probably why?'' she said.

''Well, we haven't exactly had a chance to take Malfoy's statement have we?'' I said.

''She's got a point guys'' Ron said.

''Kingsley's gonna flip if he knows you're here Irulan!'' Harry said.

''I'll deal with it later'' I said shrugging. I grabbed Draco's wrist, ''Come on Draco''.

The four of them followed me to an interview room in the very back of Headquarters. There were about fifteen doors, with one way windows next to them on the back wall of Headquarters. I put Draco in one of those rooms, it was small 20 x 15 at the most. There was a crude wooden table in the center with two wooden chairs on either side. I closed the door and watched as Draco paced the room occasionally running his hands through his hair.

''What do you want to do?'' Harry asked me.

''Get him a cup of water laced with Veritaserum'' I replied.

''Isn't that Entrapment?'' Hermione asked.

''Entrapment is a relative term, I prefer...reasonable deception. We believe that if not under the influence of truth potion, Malfoy would lie to us like that -'' I snapped my fingers.

''Are you sure about this Irulan?'' Ron asked. 

''It'll be fine if anyone'll get in trouble it'll be me. I'll make sure your asses are covered'' I said, somewhat bitterly I guess. 

Harry walked away and came back fifteen to twenty minutes later with a cup of water in hand.

''Who wants to interview this time?'' Ron asked.

We all looked at eachother, ''jenkin?'' I suggested. ''That's how we always settle this, best not break tradition.'' The three of them smiled at me, and we all put our fists in a small circle.

''Rock, paper, scissors, shoot!''

Hermione and I both chose rock while Harry chose paper, and Ron scissors. ''Paper beats rock'' Harry said.

''But scissors cuts paper'' Ron said.

''And rock beats scissors'' Hermione said.

''Damn'' Harry and Ron said. Now it was just Hermione and myself.

''Rock, paper, scissors shoot!''

''Damn,'' I said. I picked paper and she picked scissors.

''Guess it's me this time'' she said, taking the glass of water from Harry.

''Better you than Harry, he might lunge across the table and strangle Malfoy'' I thought, unfortunately out loud. Ron looked like he was about to start laughing his ass off, while both Harry and Hermione just looked at me. ''I say that out loud?''

''Uh, yeah you did'' Ron said.

''Oh, sorry Harry, no offense'' I said.

''None taken'' he said.

Hermione rolled her eyes and walked into the interview room, setting the cup of water infront of Draco.

''Granger, I'm suprised they let a mudblood become an auror'' Draco said. When Hermione only smiled, I could have sworn I saw his eye twitch. See, Hermione has learned to deal with insults after everything we've been through already.

She walked around behind him, put her hand on his shoulder and squeezed. Harry, Ron and Hermione were shocked to see him cringe, ''You want your collarbone in one piece, yes?'' she said.

''Get your hands off me'' Draco said, slowly and clearly. Hermione complied and took her hand off his shoulder before she sat across from him. She's changed so much since school, she really could have done a considerable amount of damage to his collarbone. I've seen her use deadly force before, resulting in a few Internal Affairs Bureau (IAB) investigations. Draco sighed heavily before taking the glass and taking a sip.

Once Hermione was sure that he swallowed his mouthful, she immediately asked, ''So, what happened at the Spevak's?''

I love how Hermione doesn't beat around the bush, most the time anyway. The three of us outside watched outside in amusement as Draco spilled his black, little heart.


	5. Chapter 9 and 10

chapter 9

''What do you think?'' Ron asked, any one of us that would answer.

''We can't ask him who he was with'' I said.

''Why the hell not?'' Harry asked.

''He has a Secrecy Enchantment on him'' Hermione said.

''How can you tell?'' Ron asked. Don't mind him, he wasn't really paying attention very well through the whole interview.

''Didn't you see how much it pained him to answer Hermione? It's almost like he was suffocating'' I said. ''That's what a Secrecy Enchantment does, if you attempt to tell the secret you're enchanted to keep you suffocate to death''

''That poses a problem'' Harry said.

''Did Greg manage to lift prints off Draco's wand?'' I asked, keep in mind I hadn't been there in two days.

''No, but he did get a white powdery substance, from your typical surgical glove'' Hermione said.

''Of course, prints on the wand would have been too easy!'' I said, sighing irritably.

''What do you want to do Counsiler?'' Harry asked me.

I took a deep breath and closed my eyes needing to think for a moment. I started chewing on the inside of my cheek as I slowly opened my eyes. Draco was looked rather antsy and dishevled, he had to have run his hands through his hair 35 or more times. I glanced at the underside of my left wrist because I wear my watch backwards. It was 1:47.

''I hate when you call me 'Counsiler', Harry'' I said.

I saw him smile out of the corner of my eye, ''I know''

''Call Greg, have him meet us at the Spevak's with four other members of CSU and a transcript of Draco's statement'' I said.

''What are you going to do?'' Ron asked.

''Take Draco back to my house and meet you guys there,'' I said. ''And I have to call Langan, if this goes right, Draco will be in Wizengamot before noon tomorrow''

''Great, just what we need; Draco loose on the public'' Harry said.

''He won't be'' I said.

''How do you know?'' Ron wondered.

''Because, I'm the one going to Wizengmot'' I said. Sighing again, I said; ''All I know is that we better get this done fast, I have to work tonight''

I opened the door to the interview room. When he heard the door open, Draco looked up, ''Are you going to question me now?''

''No, I'm taking you back to my house now'' I replied. Draco nodded and stood out of the chair, walking past me out of the room. I turned to Harry, Ron, and Hermione, ''I'll see you guys in a bit''. The three of them just nodded. I followed Draco who was already a great deal ahead of me. I don't blame him, I'd want out too.

As soon as we got back to my house, Draco stormed right up to his room. I walked into the kitchen pulling open a cupboard where I kept medicine and some basic potions. Pulling down a sleeping potion, I made a cup of hot tea, and walkd up to Draco's room.

''Draco?'' I said through the door.

''Go away'' he said. Rolling my eyes at his childishness (is that even a word?), I put the vile of potion under my chin, opened the door and walked over to the bed. He was facing the wall, and wouldn't even look at me.

''I made you a cup of team and brought you a sleeping potion incase you want to sleep'' I said, sitting on the edge of his bed.

''Why didn't you tell me, that you were going to question me with Veritaserum?'' he asked, doing a three-quarter turn over toward me.

''Because both you and I know that you would have lied'' I said.

''Why would I have done that!'' he snapped.

''I don't know! I don't know you Draco, I don't know what goes on inside that blonde head of your's, and I'm not going to pretend to'' I said.

''I wouldn't have lied'' Draco hissed.

''Yeah, then I would have had a hell of a time trying to prove to Harry, Ron, and Hermione that you weren't lying, so be glad I put Veritaserum into the water'' I pointed out. Draco opened his mouth to say something, but obviously seeing I had a point, promptly closed it.

Draco adjusted so that he was laying on his back. Putting one hand behind his head, Draco ran his tougne across his lips and rubbed them together. _Dear Lord, he's perfect,_ I thought. _...Oh holy shit, Irulan did you just think that?_

Draco looked at me and smirked, I must've been staring. ''Like what you see Anderson?''

''Sod off Malfoy'' I said, smacking his stomach. I'm sure anyone else would have been blushing, not me. I've never been one to blush as easily as some girls. I mean both Harry and Ron blush more than me.

''I better go before Harry's mind starts to wander'' I stood up and stretched my arms as I did.

''Where are you going?'' he asked.

I looked at him and put my hands on my hips, ''Why? Are you gonna get worried about me?''

''Hardly'' he said.

''Oh come on, you know you're going to miss me!'' I said jokingly.

Draco smirked and grabbed my arm, pulling me down. I caught myself with my right arm, before I fell completely ontop of him. Draco was propped up on his left elbow while his right hand had my arm. He breathed out through his mouth, I felt his warm breath brush against my lips. I looked at his lips, his amazing, perfect, rosy lips, and waited for them to close the one inch gap between his and mine.

When it didn't happen after like thirty seconds, I lifted my gaze to his eyes, ''Like a plague'' he whispered. Then he let go of my arm and laid back down.

I walked out of his room, and leaned back against the door when I closed it. I ran my hand through my hair before resting it over my mouth. ''Well...'' I said to myself. ''That was interesting''.

chapter 10

''Hey, I'm here'' I shouted entering the Spevak's house.

''Upstairs!'' someone shouted (I think it might've been Ron).

I walked into the kitchen and up the stairs to the second floor, ''Which room?''

''Over here'' Harry said, sticking his head out of the master bedroom where the wife was found.

''Chester, why are you wearing a wig?'' I asked, entering the room.

''Because I'm Malfoy'' he said.

''You don't have to wear a wig'' I said, it was kinda creeping me out.

''Sure he does!'' Greg said.

''Okay, so how are we going to work this?'' Ron asked.

''Well, Chester and I are going to be Malfoy and whoever he was with. Kathy -'' Greg pointed to the bed where Kathy was laying ''- is going to be Elizabeth Spevak. In the kid's room we have Michelle being little Janelle Spevak. Finally downstairs is Thomas being Micheal Spevak. One of you is going to read Draco's statement and we are going to do our best to ''perform'' it, so to speak''

''I'll read it,'' Hermione said.

''Now that that's settled, if you will all follow me, we can get this show on the road'' Greg said walking out past us all.

''Are you okay Irulan?'' Harry asked as we followed Greg.

''yeah, why?'' I asked.

''You look a bit flustered'' Hermione said.

''No, Malfoy and I got into a bit of a row because of the Veritaserum in the water; I took care of it'' I said.

We got outside in the backyard, Hermione opened the file that held Draco's statement and started reading; ''_ We arrived in the backyard of the Spevak's house. I stood back as he used the Reductor Curse to blast the door open. He told me to check the lower levels while he checked the upstairs for what we were looking for. First, I checked the basement, finding nothing but boxes gathering dust. When I came back up from the basement, he hadn't come back down yet, I assumed there were more rooms than anticipated..._'' As Hermione read, Greg and Chester were doing everything thst she was reading.

''_...When I entered the living room, Micheal Spevak rose from his seat and leveled a gun with my head. He told me to drop my wand, and I did. We stayed in silence for a few minutes, until I felt something smash over my head. The room spun and everything went black. The next thing I remember is waking up in Irulan's hosue._''

''Now, we have to piece together from when he got hit over the head to the wand ending up in the bushes'' Greg said, standing over Chester who's supposed to be Draco.

''Okay, so Micheal lowers the gun and thanks him for helping. Fiuring that the guy Malfoy was with is a Deatheater he'll have known Spevak and possibly been a friend'' Thomas said, lowering his hand which he has poised like a gun.

''But, whoever Draco was with bends down, picks up the wand, and kills him'' Greg said. Thomas fell to the floor pretending to be dead.

''Then he walks over to the body, takes the gun and shoots Draco'' I said.

''Since he was wearing gloves; no prints. He places the gun back in Spevak's hand making it look like he shot Draco. But there was no powder residue on his hands'' Chester said.

''You're supposed to be unconsious!'' Thomas said.

''Yeah, you're supposed to be dead!'' Chester said.

''But he made a mistake in ditching the wand outside because there's no way Draco would have been able to do that'' Greg said, cutting off Chester's and Thomas' little squabble.

''I really hate to say this, but it's plausable'' Harry said.

''But circumstantial'' Ron said.

''Doesn't matter, it kinda-sorta proves Malfoy innocent'' I said.

''What about who he was with?'' Hermione asked.

''Nothing we can do; We don't know who it is'' I said. ''Anyone know how to reverse a Secrecy Enchantment?'' Everyone shook their heads. ''Damn, it's my turn to do research isn't it?''

''Yep!'' Ron said.

''Guess I'm calling in sick to work again. Emily will cover for me'' I said. ''I'll see you guys tomorrow for Wizengamot''

''Later Irulan'' Ron said. I waved to them over my shoulder and I walked out of the house.

When I reached the sidewalk, I pulled out my cell phone and dialed Langan's number, only getting his voicemail ''Hi, Jordan this is Irulan Anderson. I'm calling because my team and I have found new evidence proving your client innocent. Meet me at the Leaky Cauldron around 8:15 and I'll see you in Wizengamot tomorrow morning at nine o'clock sharp.'' I closed my phone and stuck it in my back pocket before dissapparatting to Hogsmeade.

I walked into Three Broomsticks, which didn't have many people in it. I was just happy it wasn't a Saturday, otherwise I'd have a hell of a time trying to get to the bar.

''Rosmerta'' I said.

Rosmerta turned around and smiled at me, ''He's upstairs, always seems to know when you're going to be coming''. I nodded and walked upstairs to the rooms. Upon opening one of the doors, I saw someone sitting in one of the chairs wearing robes of deep red. Every inch of this person was covered except for his eyes.

''Miss Anderson'' he said, nodding to me in aknowledgement.

I crossed the room and went to one knee infront of him. I looked up, his eyes were twinkling with a smile. ''I need your advice on what to do about this, nothing is what I expected it to be, and I'm finding that hard to handle''

He reached out his hand, and rested it on my head, ''I am not going to tell you what to do Irulan, I neve have and I am not going to start now'' he said.

''Some help you are'' I said, he only laughed.

''Just remember this Irulan, not every answer is on the surface, sometimes you have to dig deeper to find what you are looking for'' he said. ''And the more steps we take foreward, we see the longer the path is ahead of us''.


	6. Chapter 11 and 12

chapter 11

Draco's Point Of View:

_Goddamnit!_

I rolled over, putting my pillow over my head, trying to drown out Irulan's music. Don't get me wrong, I listen to just about the same music as her, but not at seven o'clock in the morning.

I heard my door open, and footsteps draw near to my bed, ''Draco, get up.''

''It's seven in the morning!'' I protested.

''Draco Malfoy, there are children in third world countries that have been up for three hours already. Get your lazy ass out of bed!'' Irulan said.

''Go away!''

''You know you're lucky I waited until after my shower to turn my music on, let alone wake you up. Don't make me get cold water involved'' she said.

''Alright, I'm up!'' I said, pulling my pillow off my head and sitting up. I rubbed the sleep from my eyes, and opened them seeing Irulan standing at the side of my bed, dripping wet, in nothing but a towel. My eyes went wide, and I couldn't keep them on her face.

she smirked and leaned down, letting her lips brush against my ear, ''Like what you see Malfoy?''

_Yes!_ ''Go put some clothes on Anderson''

''You have to take a shower. Both of us are due in Wizengamot at 9:00'' she said pulling back. She smirked again, humming the tune to the song currently blasting through the house, and walked out of my room.

Irulan's Point Of view:

I walked out of Draco's room smirking to myself. I could hear Draco rummaging around in his room as I walked into my bathroom in my room. I took my brush to my hair and tugged all the knots and tangles out of it. The pipes through out the house gave a loud moan, meaning that the water in the other bathroom had turned on.

I waited maybe, fifteen, thirty seconds before I flushed my toilet. ''Five...four...three...two...''

''Irulan you bitch!'' Draco screamed.

''Should've woken up when I told you to!'' I shouted back.

I pulled my hair into a tight bun at the back of my head, before I started doing my make-up. ''Open up my eyes, flooded with daylight, another sleepless night turns color black and white. With all the things I said. There is just regret, repreating in my head...'' I quietly sang as I scurried around my room getting ready. I threw on a pait of pinstripe pants, and a nice blouse with a pinstripe blazer over it. ''With my hands around your neck, who will stop me now? With my hands around your neck, who will stop me now? With my hands around your neck, who will stop me now? Who will stop me now?'' I turned off the radio and took a final glance in the mirror before I headed down into the kitchen to have a bowl of cereal.

Draco has already gotten out of the shower a few minutes ago and was in his room getting ready.

I knocked on the door, ''Hurry up you narcissist!''

''I am not a narcissist!'' Draco said through the door.

''Yeah, you only spend more time on your hair than I took getting dressed,'' I said walking down the stairs.

I made a quick bowl of cereal, ''Irulan, I think your cat is gay!'' I heard behind me, causing me to snort into my cereal.

''What?'' I said turning around and looking oddly at Draco.

''I think your cat is gay'' he repeated.

''Why's that?'' I asked.

''Because, he won't leave me alone''

''He just likes you, that's all'' I said. ''It's if he doesn't like you that you have to worry about''

''How come?''

''Romeo's a good judge of character, right?'' I looked down at Romeo sitting at Draco's feet. He just blinked at me and turned his head to one side. Draco just snickered at me. Yeah, I'm a goof, what are ya gonna do about it? ''Do you want breakfast before we go?''

''We're going now? I thought we didn't have to be there 'til nine'' he said.

''We don't, but there are things I have to talk to your Advocate about'' I replied, taking my last spoonful of cereal into my mouth, and putting my bowl in the sink. ''We're meeting him at the Leaky Cauldron''

''You seem very friendly with my advocate'' Draco said.

''I've known him for a long time, been to Wizengamot with him many times. Both of us have had our asses handed to us by the other a number of times.'' I said, ''Each case we have together is merely a friendly competition''

''Oh I see'' Draco said.

''Why?''

''Huh? Oh, no reason''

''Uh huh, why would you make a really random comment like that?'' I said.

''Making a witty observation'' he said.

''You? Witty? Yeah right,'' I said laughing lightly.

''Oh come on, I am and you know it!'' he said.

''Hmm...ignorant, arrogant, cocky, egotistical, stubborn, sarcastic, apathetic; check. Witty? I don't think so'' I said.

Draco took a few steps closer to me until I backed into the counter, ''You really think about me like that?''

''I've thought about you like that ever since first year'' I said. ''You've never done anything to really change my mind''

''I thought you didn't hate me?''

''I don't hate you. I highly dislike you, but I don't hate you'' I said. ''What about you? I thought you hated me''

Draco chuckled and shook his head, ''I don't hate you Irulan, I could never hate you. You've never given me a reason to hate you''

''Not even because I'm friends with Harry, Ron, and Hermione?'' I said.

''I'll let you in a secret Irulan, I never really had anything against them'' he said.

''Then why did -''

He cut me off, ''Let's not talk about this now. We have other places we need to be''

''Oh crap, I almost forgot!'' I said pushing past Draco and walking itno my living room. I grabbed the pot of floo powder and held it out to Draco, ''You first''

He took a handful and stepped into the fireplace, ''Leaky Cauldron!'' he snapped throwing the powder down, I followed close behind.

chapter 12

I fell forward out of the fireplace, but a strong pair of arms caught me. I looked up not suprised to see Draco. ''Thanks'' I said, pulling myself from his grip.

''Miss Anderson'' I turned around seeing Langan.

''Ah, Mr. Langan, I'm glad to know you'll be representing me'' Draco said.

''I'm glad to see that Miss Anderson hasn't sucked your blood while you were sleeping'' Langan said.

I couldn't help but smile and roll my eyes. ''Let's talk'' I said to Jordan. ''Draco, why don't you wait at the bar''

Draco opened his mouth, about to object, ''Just do it'' Jordan said. Draco gave a 'hmph' and sauntered over to the bar while Langan and myself sat ourselves at our usual table.

''Why all of a sudden are you believeing my client's claim of innocence?''

''Because, we found evidence supporting it'' I said.

''You would have has him on the murder-one charge, you know that Irulan'' he said.

''I know'' I said. ''Now, your client is a material witness to who really killed the Spevak family. I'm willing to drop the charges against Draco...''

''What do you want?'' Jordan asked.

''I want to make sure your client doesn't go anywhere incase we need him'' I said. ''Therfore, he'll still be remanded to my custody''. Jordan sat back in his chair and looked at me like I was losing my mind. ''It's either remanded to my custody, or I can make sure he's remanded to a cell in Azkaban''. Jordan thought for a moment, with one hand over his mouth, staring at the table. ''I don't see what other choice you have Jordan. Either take my deal, or I charge Draco with Accessory''. I leaned back in my chair, resting my arm on the back.

''Alright, fine'' Jordan said. I smiled, I knew he was going to agree. I had that meeting in the palm of my hand the entire time. I was in control every single second.

''Wise decision'' I said standing up. I glanced down at my watch - 8:45. ''See you in fifteen''

I disapparated out of the Leaky Cauldron and ended up at my desk.

''Jesus H. Christ! Irulan!'' Ron shouted.

''Sorry Ron.'' I said. ''Harry around here somewhere?''

''I think so...'' Ron said.

''Cuz he always walks me to my Wizengamot hearings'' I said.

''Irulan!'' I spun around and saw Harry.

''I was worried there for a minute. You know I look forward to our walk Harry'' I said.

Harry smiled, ''Well, I'm here now. Let's go''

I don't know why Harry and I always walk down together. I guess it might be because, my very first hearing I was so nervous, thinking that I was going to screw up. Harry, being my best friend offered to walk with me, which calmed me a great deal. Ever since then, there has never been one of my hearings that Harry hasn't walked me down to. No matter what, he always made sure that he walked me down.

I opened the door to the courtroon, bidding farewell to Harry and walking in, heading straight for the center. Draco sat in the chair in the center, Jordan behind the table on my right. I stood behind the table on the left.

''Would you like to enlighten us as to why were here Miss Anderson?''

''In their investigation, the Auror's have found evidence proving Draco Malfoy innocent'' I said.

''And what would you like us to do about that?''

_Man I hate these people!_ ''In light of this new evidence I, and the aurors handling the investigation ask that the charges against Mr. Malfoy be dropped'' I said.

''I sense a but coming''

''We believe Mr. Malfoy to be a material witness to the crime which he was previously accused. We ask that he be remanded to my custody again'' I said.

''Mr. Langan?''

''No objection. If Miss Anderson wishes to do my job for me, who am I to object?'' Jordan said.

''Well, this is certainly odd, but since you have no objection, you've gievn us no choice but to grant Miss Anderson's wish''

''Thank you, your honors'' I said.

''Dismissed''

I smiled and turned to Langan, grabbing my breifcase (yes, I had my breifcase with me, it has all my notes and files in it).''You should be thanking me''

''Yeah, I know'' then he turned and walked out of the courtroom!

''Prick!'' I said under my breath.

I turned my head and saw Draco, still sitting in the chair. I set my briefcase down and walked up to him. He was gripping the arms of the wooden chair so hard that his knuckles were turning white. He was douced in sweat and his breathing was shaky and uneven. If you looked close enough, one could see that he was trembling.

''Draco...?'' I said kneeling down infront of him. Draco's eyes were glazed over and clouded, unfocsued. Biting down on my lower lip, I hestitantly raised my hand and put it on the side of his face. He jolted when my hand touched him, his eyes refocused and he stared at me. ''Are you alright?''

''What happened?'' he asked.

''The charges against you were dropped. But you're still remanded to me because you're a material witness'' I said. ''Are you sure you're okay?''

''Uh...yeah I-I'm fine. Can we just go?'' Draco got out of the chair and walked out of the courtroom.

What had caused him to freak out like that?

I looked at the chair, so many times have I seen the chains on this chair, spring to life and confine the person sitting in it. I rose to my feet, staring at the chair. Turning around, I slowly lowered myself into the chair. Up until that moment I never realized how intimidating this chair really was. _So, this is what it feels like to be a perp,_I thought. Then another thought immediately occured to me, and explained why Draco reacted the way he did to this chair; We were in courtroom 5, the same courtroom where his father was found guilty and sent to Azkaban. And this is the same chair he sat in during his Wizengamot hearing.


	7. Chapter 13 and 14

Chapter 13

''I hope that is the last Wizengamot hearing I have to go to for awhile'' I said to myself, plopping down on the couch. Draco was up in his room, doing God knows what. The only thing is now, I had to go to Florish and Blotts tomorrow and find books on Secrecy Enchantments, I sighed and started flipping through the channels.

It felt so weird not to have anything to do all day. Normally, I'm working on a case or preparing witnesses for Wizengamot. Now, I'm stuck at my own house with Draco Malfoy. _Great, now I've gone a frustrated myself!_ I thought with an irritated sigh. I turned the TV off and stood up off the couch. I walked into my room and changed into a pair of capris and and a tank-top. Then I walked into my backyward where I have a small meditation garden. I did my entire backyard with a lot of Hermione and Ginny's help.

If you follow the small stone path, there's a circle of rocks, surrounded by cherry blossom trees, and other exotic plants, and a small fountain. I sat down in the middle of the circle and crossed my legs, sitting in the lotus position. Touching each of my thumbs to my pinkies, I closed my eyes and took a deep calming breath. I sat there for maybe fifteen minutes in silence. I couldn't hear anything around me, I might as well have been dead to the world for that fifteen minutes.

''Irulan.'' At first, I thought it was Draco so I ignored it.

But the second time it happened, the voice sounded more persistant and upset that I hadn't answered, ''Irulan!'' I opened my eyes and looked around seeing no one. Having been throughly freaked out, I stood up and walked back into the house. Romeo walked out past me, probably to go and catch something.

I ran up the stairs two at a time and opened Draco's bedroom door. He was laying on his bed reading a book, ''hey did you call me?'' I asked.

Draco lowered the book and raised an eyebrow at me, ''No, why would I?''

''No need to be a jackass, I was just asking!'' I snapped.

He raised his other eyebrow in suprised, ''Are you okay?''

''I...I don't know yet'' I said, closing the bedroom door and walking back downstairs.

I pulled a chair from the dining room into the kitchen and stood on it to get to the lamp that hung on the ceiling, only finding nothing. Jumping down, I immediately went to my knees and started searching through the cabnets. I started panicking, I couldn't find what I was looking for. My body started chaking as I laid on my stomach clawing under the couch. _Damnit to hell!_ I thought standing up and sprinting into the basement. There wasn a hamper near the dryer which I tore through and _still_ found nothing. I stood upright and stomped my foot in aggravation, much like a small child would. I felt like I was ready to cry, running my hand through my hair, I screamed and picked up the hamper before chucking it across the basement, having it smash against the pool table.

That's when I remembered that Harry and Ron, completely cleaned my house of all alcohol. ''Damnit!'' I shouted kicking the washer.

On the floor above me, I heard hurried footsteps and Draco appeared on the basement stairs, ''You okay?''. I groaned out of irritation and ran my tougne over one of my canines. Furrowing my brow, I thought for a moment, trying to figure out if all my hiding spots had been cleared out.

There was one place, Harry and Ron hadn't checked. ''Yes!'' I shouted running out of the basement, nearly knocking Draco over, and up into his room.

''Irulan, what the hell are you doing?'' Draco asked. I was sitting on the floor infront of his bed with my arm inbetween the mattresses. I felt the long, cool, surface of a bottle's eck and instinctively wrapped my hand around it. I pulled out a bottle of bourbon from between the mattress and the box spring.

''Oh damn, that was there the entire time?'' Draco said. I removed the cork and took a large swig. The liquid burned my throat as I swallowed it. There was about half the bottle left, and I chugged the entire thing. Draco's jaw dropped when I finally put the bottle down. Unfortunately for me, it had been a long time since I last drank anything. _I shouldn't have done that!_ I thought, jumping to my feet and putting a hand over my mouth.

I ran into the bathroom, kneeled infront of the toilet and hurled. I spat into the water, the last reminants of bourbon on my tougne and flushed. Draco leaned against the door frame with his arms crossed over his chest.

''You shouldn't have drank all that at once''

I gave him a sideways glare, ''Sod off. I bet you like seeing me like this''. As soon as the last word of that sentence left my mouth, bile rose up into my throat again. I heard Draco sigh and walk over to me, he pulled my hair into a pony-tail and took the holder off my wrist to tie my hair up.

''Actually, I don't'' he said. I looked up seeing Draco actually putting toothpaste on my toothbrush, then he handed it to me. I hesitantly took my toothbrush and brushed my teeth.

After that, I used mouthwash to et rid of the acird taste on my tougne. ''Why are you being so nice all of a sudden?'' I asled. Draco just smiled slightly, and tapped the tip of my nose with his finger before walking back into his room...

_Is there a gas leak in here or something? What the hell is going on?_

Chapter 14

''Why did I have to come too?'' an annoyed Draco asked me as we entered Florish and Blotts.

''Because, I need to get books about the Secrecy Enchantment that has been placed on you'' I said. ''Besides, you can't leave my house unless I'm with you. And if you stay at my house too much, you're going to get fat and ugly''.

I immediately regretted saying that, ''So you think I'm good-looking then?''

''I never said that''

''But you were thinking it'' he said.

I spun around and looked at him, ''You want to know why every relationship you had when we were in school lasted about two weeks, with th exception of Parkinson?''

''Enlighten me'' he said.

''It's because you're too damn cocky!'' I said.

Draco's eyes narrowed in a frightening glare, ''who asked you?''

''You did'' I said turning to the bookshelf. Since I didn't feel like dealing with him, Imade Draco search one side of the store while I searched the other.

It's amazing, for how packed Florish and Blotts is, I could not find a single book that I thought might help me. ''Irulan, I think I found one that might help'' Draco said.

''Let me see it'' I said, turning around and taking the book from him. It was a large brown leather book entitled Olde and Forgotten Bewitchments and Charmes.

''Think it'll help?'' he asked.

''It might, just hold on to it'' I said, handing the book back to him. I walked past Draco and headed to the upper level of the store.

I skimmed the titles of all the books until I found some others I thought might help; A Guide to Medieval Sorcery, A Study of Recent Developments in Wizardry,  
Achievements in Charming, and the last book I couldn't reach titled, Important Magical Discoveries.

''Damnit!'' I mumbled, jumping to try and reach the book.

''Here,'' Draco said grabbing the book.

''Thanks'' I said, taking the book. ''I think that might be all the books we -I'm going to need''

''Let's go get some ice cream'' Draco randomly suggested. I raised an eyebrow at him, ''What? I haven't has Fortescue's ice cream in a long time''.

I shrugged, ''whatever''. I bought the books, and took the bag from the cashier before Draco and I headed to the ice cream parlor.

I ended up getting a cake batter milkshake, while Draco got a chocolate-vanilla swirl cone. We walked through Diagon Alley until we got to my favorite spot. It was basically at the far end of Diagon Alley, and possibly the oldest part. The entire small area was encirled with smaller shops, and there a fountain in the center. The entire scene just looked like something out of Italy, maybe France. But I liked it because it was quiet, and not a lot of people bothered to come this far into Diagon Alley, so the foot traffic was slim.

I sat on the edge of the fountain and Draco sat next to me, ''Is that good?'' he asked motioning to my milkshake.

''Yeah, wanna try?'' I asked, holding the cup to him.

Draco took a sip and then opened and closed his mouth as if trying to figure out what it tasted like. ''Tastes like cake batter''

''Duh, that's what it is!'' I said, taking a sip myself.

''I'll stick to chocolate-vanilla swirl thank you'' he said, taking a bite out of the cone.

We sat there and finished whatever we had gotten from the Ice Cream Parlor, it was nice without a rude comment from Draco. When I had finished my milkshakes, I turned and looked at Draco, before I giggled. ''What?''

''You've got ice cream on the side of your mouth, and it's very noticeable'' I said. ''Here'' I took my napkin and wiped the corner of his mouth.

''Thank you'' he said.

''You're welcome'' I said smiling. Draco lifted his hand and rested it on the side of my head, and slowly started leaning toward me. Right when he was about to kiss me, he paused and licked his lips, but as if in thought. _Since when did Draco Malfoy think before he kissed a girl?_ I thought. I was about to say something, when his lips pressed against mine. The first thought that immediately came to my head was I have got to be crazy! _I don't care, call the people in the white coats and haul me off to the insane asylum!_ I thought. I put my right hand at the nape of Draco's neck, while my left hand held me up. I felt his tougne flick across my lips, asking for entrance, I allowed it, if hesitantly. His tougne collided with mine (Author; TOUNGE WARS! cough Sorry, I couldn't help it), and instantly he gained full control of everything, but whatever, I didn't care, he's an amazing kisser!

I felt Draco pull back, and he rested his forehead against mine. ''Woah...'' was all I could manage to say making Draco chuckle. I pulled my head back even further and took a deep breath, tilting my head skyward. I smiled ruefully to myself as I felt the temperature rise ever so slightly in my cheeks, running a hand over my face, I let a small laugh emit from the back of my throat.

''You alright?'' Draco asked.

I turned and smiled, ''I'm fine'' I said. Then I dug into my pocket and pulled out a knut, ''here make a wish''. Draco gave me a funny look, and I nodded, he took the coin from my hand and held it for a moment before tossing it over his shoulder into the water.

I stared at him, ''what?'' he asked.

''You call _that_ making a wish? Eyes wide open and a half-hearted toss over the shoulder?'' I said.

''Oh, so there's an art to making a wish?'' Draco said, an amused smirk on his face.

''Of course there is!'' I said, going into my pocket again and pulling out another knut. I stood up, and faced the fountain. Closing my eyes, I held out my right hand and tucked my thumb under my index finger, placing the coin on my thumb nail. I made a wish, and flicked my thumb from under my index finger sending the coin into the air before it plopped into the water. ''_That_ is how you make a wish''.


	8. Chapter 15 and 16

chapter 15

draco's point of view:

I sat at the top of the stairs leaning against the wall, gazing into the dining room where Irulan sat. Papers and books littered both the table and the floor around her, as Irulan's eyes scanned the book infront of her. It's been nearly two weeks tht she's sat at that table, researching and occasionally taking notes. She's been practically living off coffee and soda that holds high levels of caffine. _If anyone could find the reverse..._I thought._Maybe she could._ I hated having this enchantment on me, for some reason I hated not being able to tell Irulan what was really going on. That the person who placed this enchantment on me, was really after her.

Suddenly, Irulan gave an irriated groan, and chucked her pen across the dining room. She gathered some of her hair in a fist full on the top of her head and laughed, almost menically.

''Irulan, what are you doing?'' she said to herself, ''Malfoy's a death eater, you should have just sent him to Azkaban! That way, you wouldn't be keeping ungodly hours researching this damnable reverse!'' I'll admit, that comment hurt...a lot. Irulan heaved an annoyed sigh and smacked her head on the table, rather hard. Her reaction was a bit delayed, ''...ow...'' she sat back up rubbin her forhead. ''That smarts''. I couldn't help but smile some and shake my head. Yes, she is a bit odd, but she's highly entrancing and rather magnificent.

_So give me all your poison and give me all your pills, and give me all your hopeless hearts and make me ill..._

Irulan jolted when the ringtone of her cellphone sounded.

''Phone... phone'' she muttered, moving around papers and books until she found her phone on the other side of the table and was actually on the table when she answered it. ''Hello? ...What! When! ...What do you mean you need me, I've been desked by you coinsidentally!'' she said. ''...Alright, alright fine! I'll be there in a few minutes, don't have a cow!'' She hung up her phone and got off the table mumbling incoherently to herself. I couldn't make out what she was saying, but everything sounded backwards. With another distainful look at her research, she vanished with a loud _Crack_. Irulan probably thought that I was sleeping, because I don't think she would have left me in her house by myself.

There was something that I remembered from the two days when I wasn't myself, that I kind of wanted to check out. Descending the stairs, I walked to the secretary desk in the living room. I don't know why I remembered this, but I felt it was worth checking out. Opening the top drawer, I dug around until I felt what I had been looking for; a journal. Taking a deep breath, I opened the journal, seeing some articles she cut out of the _Daily Prophet_. As I turned the page, I found some of Irulan's poems, and I couldn't quite believe what I was reading myself...

She sits alone in the darkness,  
With her solitary piece of mind,  
A blade held limply in her hand,  
As she drags it across her skin.

DEAD. She carves.  
I WISH I WAS DEAD.  
Deeper the blade went,  
As blood hit the floor.

Truthfully, she's afraid of death.  
But would never admit it.  
Her muddied thoughts and shattered dreams...  
Fuel her destructive nature.

ALONE. She carves.  
I AM ALL ALONE.  
Suddenly she stops,  
And puts the blade down.

She went deeper than ever before,  
And laid limply on the floor.  
A small puddle forms,  
As color leaves her face.

She sits alone in the darkness,  
With her solitary piece of mind,  
A blade held limply in her hand,  
As she drags it across her skin.

... My breath caught in my chest. I never would have thought Irulan would write something like that, or even think something like that. There was hardly ever a time when _I_ saw her unhappy. And also from what I saw, there were no signs indicating she self-mutilated. I flipped through a few more pages, and found one dated the same day she saw my forearm in sixth year, entitled ''Cutter''. It was short, merely four lines, but I felt I had to read it.

Knife upon his skin,  
He is unafraid,  
To live with scars,  
His own hand made...

I collapsed into the couch. I closed Irulan's journal, and glanced at my right arm, rippled scars crossed in almost every direction on it. Then I drew my gaze to the mark permanently emblazoned on my forearm.

What I wouldn't give to get rid of it.

_''Malfoy's a Death Eater, you should have just sent him to Azkaban!''_Irulan's voice suddenlt filled my head, and I think for one of the first times, I was ashamed. I put the journal back in it's place, hoping it would give no evidence that I had been in it.

Chapter 16

''What the fuck is going on?'' I shouted arriving at the scene. Every member of CSU walked in and ot of a tent that had been ressurected in the small park about five miles from my house. At the time, I felt it appropriate that the F-bomb be dropped. Kingsley walked out of the tent, closely followed by Harry, Ron and Hermione.  
''Irulan, why are -'' I cut Kinsley off.

''You call me a four in the morning, and you expcet me dressed?'' Oh man, I was not very happy, because this was riddiculous, either I'm on a desk or I'm not, I can't go back and forth! Forcing myself to take a deep, if shaky breath, I calmly asked ''what happened?''

''See for yourself'' Ron said holding the tent open for me. I ducked in, seeing the body of a young womanm a little older than myself, lying face down, spread eagled in the grass. There was white sheet that covered from her shoulders to her mid-thigh. However, there was a large blood spot, toward what would be the center of her back.

''Was she laft here nude?'' I asked.

''Yeah, perp prolly took the clothes with him'' Harry said.

''We did call you for a reason Irulan'' Kingsley said, kneeling down beside the body. He pulled the sheet back enough to reveal was was under the blood spot.

There was a symbol carved into her back, that looked much like a 'I' except it had arms that curled over the sides.

''We thought you might know what it is.'' Hermione said.

''I do.'' I said. ''It's the Zodiac symbol for Aries. Which I'm guessing the victim was'' I paused for a moment. ''This seems like a muggle murder, why are we involved?''

''Because she was killed with the killing curse, that symbol was carved into her flesh post-mordum'' Kingsley said.

''Ah,'' I said. Suddenly something sparked in my memory, and a wave of realization crashed over me.

It must've shown on my face too because Ron said, ''You know something''

''I'm not sure yet'' I said, turning and walking out of the tent.

''How comes the research?'' Harry asked.

''Ugh, don't remind me!'' I said.

''No luck?'' Hermione asked.

''None! You'd think that someone, somwhere would have written about a reversal to a freaking Secrecy Enchantment!'' I complained loudly.

''Maybe there isn't one'' Ron offered.

''I'm not giving up'' I said.

''Good luck with that one'' he said.

''Besides, if I can't find one, I'll invent one'' I said.

''How are you going to do that?'' Harry asked.

I glared at him, ''I don't know yet, but that's my contingency plan'' I said. Okay, so what I just said was a bit of a lie, I had managed to find one piece of information that might help me, but I thought it was rather useless. ''Hey, I've got to go check on something. I'll talk to you guys later'' I said, vanishing to Auror Headquarters.

Before anyone could get back, I grabbed a piece of parchment that had been jammed unceremoniously into a drawer. I quickly pocketed the parchment and apparated to my house. When I appeared in my kitchen, I immediately opened the parchment and read the message...

This is the Zodiac.  
Twelve of the sign will die  
When the belts in the Heavens are seen.

... Then in the bottom right hand corner there was a circle with a cross through it. This letter was specifically sent to me a few months ago, but I thought it was a joke and thought nothing of it. In another letter not long after this one, ''Zodiac'' sent me another letter in which he confessed to nine other murders, giving details only the perp or the people handling the case would know. Whenever I've been sleeping, I keep getting dreams in fragments, parts about Draco, a twisted jump rope song from my childhood, the circle with the cross, and the voice that I keep hearing call my name. After tonight, I half-hazardly put it all together.

''Malfoy!'' I shouted at the top of my lungs.

''In the living room'' came his drawling voice. I walked into the living room where Draco was indeed sitting on the couch. I walked up to him and grabbed his arm ''where are we going?''

''You'll see'' I replied, sharply. Suddenly, I wasn't really believing that there was an enchantment on him at all, but it had been an intricate and well played act.

We arrived at out destination which was on the dock of a very large lake. It was surrounded by lake-front property, but no one would see us because the houses are too far away.

''What are we doing here?'' Draco asked. I gave no reply, but merely knocked in the backs of his knees, causing him to tumble none too gracefully into the murky water. Before he surfaced, I laid on my stomach, and reached over the edge of the wooden dock, grabbing Draco by his hair. ''Irulan have you lost your mind!'' he shrieked.

''We're going to play truth or dare Draco,'' I said, a twisted smile on my face. ''And I dare you to lie to me''.

''Wha?''

''Who is Zodiac?'' I demanded.

''Who?''

''Wrong answer!'' I said forcing his head under the water. I held him there as he thrashed around, splashing my face. I pulled him up again, ''Who's Zodiac?''

''The same person who was with me at the Spevak's! But it's his nickname!'' he said desperately, spitting out water as he did.

''What does he want?'' I asked.

''I don't know'' he said.

''Have it your way then!'' I said, again pushing his head under the water. I held him ther longer this time, before letting him back up.

''Huew!'' he said, spitting out a mouthful of water as he did.

''I'm sorry?''

''cough He wants you!'' he said. ''cough He's obsessed with you for some reason. He always said that you were just like him''.

''Why's he want me?'' I asked. ''Keep in mind that next time you go under, you might not come back up'' ...


	9. Chapter 17 and 18

chapter 17

When we got back to the house, I went up to my room and called Harry.

''Hello?''

''Hey, it's me,'' I said.

''What did you go and check on?'' he asked.

''Draco gave up what information he could,'' I said.

''Huh?''

''I... I had my suspicions about the Secrecy Enchantment on Draco. And I was right. A few months ago, I got sent a letter confessing to nine other murders, with similar M.O.'s like tonights.'' I explained.

''What does that have to do with Malfoy?'' Harry asked.

''Well, the name that signed the letter was ''Zodiac''. When I -for lack of better term- questioned Draco, he said that ''Zodiac'' is the same person that was at the Spevak's with him'' I said.

''I thought he was under a Secrecy Enchantment?''

''Oh, he is. But you find that someone under a Secrecy Enchantment feels more compelled to tell things they thought fell under the enchantment but doesn't when they're about to drown''

''... wait, what?'' Harry said.

''Nothing, nevermind that. What I need you to do for me, is look up any one with the alias of ''Zodiac'','' I said.

''Wha -''

''Don't ask questions Harry, just do it please?'' I said.

''Uh, yeah, sure, whatever you want,'' Harry said.

''Thanks Harry'' I said.

''Anything for my best friend'' he said.

''I've got to go, I'll talk to you later'' 

''Alright, later'' he said.

Closing my phone with a slight click, I set if on my nightstand and stood up walking into my bathroom. Running the water, I rubbed cold water on my neck and chest. I couldn't believe that I almost drowned Draco just to get some answers, when I might have just been able to ask. _Oh well!_ I thought, in an overly cheery voice, giving an invoulentary shudder, I changed into a different pair of pajamas, and laid down in bed, deciding to give up on my research for awhile. I rubbed my eyes with my knuckles, causing colored spots to appear on the black surface of my eyelids. I rolled over, pulling my covers up, and slowly fell asleep, hoping for a dreamless sleep. But, I would have no such luck...

_I was running hard, barefeet slapping against a cold floor. My breathing was ragged, and my chest was constricting painfully, as I willed myself to keep going. Fear seeped from my pores, vinegar sweat as I pounded down the narrow, black hall. Heat jackhammering against my chest, pumping fever toenails to follicles, blistering braincells and veins. My blood was pumping so loudly in my ears that I couldn't sense much else, except for the immense fear that filled my entire body. _

_Behind me, I heard the sound of what would be nails on a chalkboard, if it wasn't the blade of a knife against the stone wall, followed by a child's laughter. They say that a child's laugh is one of the greatest gift in the world, I'd like to see them in this situation, running from said laughter. Suddenly the child's voice filled the empty void around me in a sing-song voice._

_Miss Mary Mac, Mac, Mac._

All dressed in black, black, black.

She had a knife. knife, knife.

Stuck in her back, back, back. 

She could not breathe, breathe, breathe.

She could not cry, cry, cry.

And soon she wished, wished, wished.

That she would die, die, die.

_I shot a fearful glance over my shoulder and as I did, I tripped. One foot snagged on the other, and I felt myself crash against the floor._

''My ankle!'' I moaned in pain looking at my ankle. My foot was twisted out at an odd angle,

I heard the child's laugh again, ''Did you hurt yourself Irulan?''. I started crying as I tried to crawl away. I managed to stand against the wall, to ctahc my breath. Closing my eyes, I swallowed hard, before looking down at the black dress I was wearing...

''No!'' I shouted, sitting up and wiping the sweat off my forehead. The door to my bedroom flew open, and Draco ran to teh side of my bed.

''Irulan, are you okay?'' he asked. I didn't answer, I had no idea where I was at that moment. The only thing I did know was that my hand was starting to hurt from gripping the sheets. ''Irulan?'' I heard him sigh, then he put one arm under my knees and the other around my shoulders. I felt him pick me up, and walk out of my room, I started struggling. ''Irulan, stop!'' Draco said.

I could tell that he was about to fall, because once I started struggling, he almost lost his balance. Finally, because of my attempts to get out of Draco's arms, he fell over against the wall. Draco hissed when his back hit the wall, but I had stopped trying ot get away. I was in Draco's lap in the middle of the hall, burying my face in his neck, I felt him take his arm from under my knees and put it around my waist.

''Okay, alright. We'll just stay right here then,'' Draco said. So the both of us stayed in the hallway, in the position we were in. I had fallen into a half-sleep, so I could feel Draco stroking my hairm trying to soothe me as if I was a small child.

And that's what I felt like.

chapter 18

A sharp pain in the left side of my neck is what waoke me up the next morning. When I opened my eyes, I saw that I was in Draco's lap in the middle of the hallway. My neck had a horrible crick in it from being leaned over to the right. I turned my head to the right, and it cracked, loudly, and quite painfully, but that also caused Draco to wake up.

''Hey'' he said, his voice slurred with sleep.

''Hey,'' I replied.

''Are you feeling better?'' he asked, removing the arm around my wait to rub his eyes.

''Why what happened?'' I asked, dumbly.

''You had a nightmare Irulan'' Draco said.

''Oh, I guess I forgot there for a bit,'' I said, laughing lightly to myself.

''I'm worried about you Irulan, I really am,'' he said.

''That's sweet, but I'm more than capable of takign care of myself'' I said kissing him quickly before I stood up. Draco stood up from the floor and crakced his knuckles. ''Um, why don't we take a shower, and after we'll have breakfast''

''Take a shower? Together?'' he said raising an eyebrow.

I rolled my eyes, ''there are two bathrooms Draco. You'll do well to keep your mind out of the gutter around me''. With that, I walked into my room and into the bathroom to take a shower. When I got done, I threw on a pair of jeans, and a t-shirt, then dried my hair putting it in a bun at the back of my head.

I walked out of my room and headed downstairs into the kitchen and put on a pot of coffee. Behind me, I heard Draco enter the kitchen, he walked up behind me and kissed the nape of my neck.

''What do you want for breakfast?'' I asked.

Draco walked from behind me and sat on the counter, ''I don't want breakfast''.

''Alright, we won't have breakfast,'' I said. ''What do you want then?''

''I'm a guy, what do you think I want?'' he said.

''What did I tell you about that mind of your's Malfoy?'' I said.

Draco smirked, ''what can I say?'' I sniggered to myself and poured each of us a cup of coffee before we sat at the table.

Draco sat on one side, and I sat on the other. We sat in silence for a few minutes, until I looked up, finding him staring at me. ''What?'' I asked.

''Tell me all your secrets,'' he said.

I laughed and glanced across the table at him, ''That's a lot of secrets Draco'' I said.

''Alright, well start from the beginning'' he said.

''Which beginning? Of my life, or from when you met me?'' I asked.

''Alright, I'll narrow it down; Why weren't you at school a lot?'' Draco asked, taking a sip of his coffee. 

''That's basically the very beginnig'' I said. ''I was left at an orphanage when I was still a baby. As a child, I was always the one to get really sick, sicker than most other children would. When I turned ten, I got the flu, and then the flu turned into amonia and I had to go to the hospital. The doctors ran tests and found out why I got so sick all the time,'' I explained, staring out the sliding glass door into the backyard.

''Why?'' he asked.

''It had to do with my blood. I had some kind of blood deficency where my body didn't produce enough white blood cells, so my immune system is very weak.'' I said.

''So what did they do?''

''Well, since then I've had a number of bloos transfusions to attempt to up my white blood cell count, but my body rejected it, at least until two years ago, when I had my final transfusion'' I said.

''Who's blood? Anyone I know?'' Draco asked.

''Uh... Harry's actually. Him and I have the same blood-type. I got sick over the summer and I was staying with Harry, Ron, and Hermione. Well, we went to St. Mungo's and found out that my body was refusing the blood from the previous transfusion. Somehow they found out that Harry had the same blood-type as me, so I got a final transfusion'' I said.

''But you're better now?''

I smiled, ''yeah, I'm better now''.

''I'm glad'' he said.

''Ugh, I so bored. Wanna go play pool?'' I asked.

''Yeah sure'' Draco said. I took my last sip of coffee and stood up. Draco followed me into the basement and over to the pool table.

''Rack 'em'' I said, tossing the triangle to Draco and grabbing my pool cue.

''Want to make the gma emore interesting?'' he asked.

''How did I know you were going to say something to thay affect?'' I said. ''What did you have in mind?''

''What you get a ball into the pocket, the other person has to strip'' he said.

''You're on. And I'm breaking. Hope you didn't decide to go commando today Malfoy,'' I said walking past him to break the pool balls.

Draco merely smirked, and took aim for the seven ball, which thankfully missed the pocket. ''Damn,'' he said.

I took aim for the four ball and got it into the left side pocket. ''Oh yeah baby! Your rules Draco, you gotta strip!'' Draco sighed and took off his shirt. ''When did you get that?'' I asked pointing to the ring in his right nipple.

''What? You don't like it?'' he said taking aim for his next ball, I only laughed.

The next ball he aimed for, made it in. ''Bastard,'' I said, lifting my shirt over my head.

Draco got better as we continued, and it must've been a long time since I last played because I'm down to boy shorts and bra, while he still has pants on.

''I can show you, you know? How to get the ball into the pocket,'' Draco said moving behind me.

''I know how to play pool Draco,'' I said, feeling his chest press against my bare back. His finger tips lightly brushed against my sides and I turned around. ''I'm really hating you right now''

''That's okay'' he said, bringing his mouth to mine. He lifted me up so that I sat on the edge of the pool table, and I started crawling backwards until both of us were laying on the table.


	10. Chapter 19 and 20

chapter 19

''Hey Draco, come here,'' I shouted. Draco come running up from teh basement because he was doing his laundry (let me tell you, that was one interesting arguement when I refused to do his laundry for him).

''What?'' he asked.

''I think I found the reverse to the Secrecy Enchantment,'' I said not looking up from my research, afraid I might lose the information if I did.

''Really? How?'' he asked.

''Ancient Runes dictionary. I knew that class was worth taking!'' I said picking my wand up off the table. ''Are you ready?''

''Yeah,'' he breathed.

I aimed my wand at him and took a breath, ''Ansuz (awn-sooze) Perthro (perth-row)''. An orange jet shot out of the end of my wand and hit Draco square in the throat. It circled around his neck like an angry bumblebee for a few seconds, and then the light was gone. Draco fell on all fours panting, ''Oh my God, Draco are you okay?'' I said jumping from my chair and kneeling next to him.

He started chuckling, then he actually laughed before he looked at me and resting his hand on the side of my head. ''I feel like I could tell you anything right now''.

''Are you serious? It worked?'' I said.

He nodded, ''yeah it worked!''

''Yes!'' I exclaimed hugging him.

''Thank you Irulan'' he said into my hair.

''Draco, I need you to tell me who was with you at the Spevak's,'' I said pulling back.

Draco nodded again, ''His name is Eric Adams''.

''I know that name, where do I know that name?'' I said, more to myself if anything, ''Of course!''

I jumped to my feet, ran up to my room and grabbed my cloak. ''Where are you going?'' Draco asked.

''You're coming with me,'' I said walking past him back into the kitchen. Picking my wand off the kitchen table, I stuck it in my back pocket and turned to Draco. ''Ready?''

''Sure,'' he said taking my hand. With Draco holding tightly onto my hand we apparated.

The two of us reappeared in a small, quiet, neighborhood infront of a comfortable looking two-story house with blue shudders.

''Where are we?'' Draco asked.

''Eric's house. He was adopted by a nice wizarding family when he was fifteen'' I said making my way up the walk. I rang the doorbell while simultanieously clutching my wand, the door swung open revealing a woman with wispy greying hair that was pulled into a puff on the top of her head.

''Hello Mrs. Adams, my name is Irulan, is Eric home?'' I asked.

''Oh, so you're Irulan! It's so good to finally meet Eric's girlfriend,'' she said.

''His wh -'' I cut Draco off by putting a hand uop.

''it's good to finally meet you as well, is Eric here?'' I said.

''No, he's not,'' she said.

''Oh, well do you mind if we come in? I left some stuff in his room, and I really need it,'' I said.

''Of course!'' Mrs. Adams exclaimed, moving aside for Draco and I to walk into the house. The house on the inside was neat, if cluttered with probably over a hundred collections of may different things, lighthouses, dolls, paintings, figurines.

''We'll just be a few minutes,'' I said pulling Draco by the front of his shirt up the stairs.

It was easy to determine which room was Eric's because it had a quidditch poster tapped on it. The room on the other side looked much like the rest of the house, and by that I mean as cluttered as the rest of the house. ''What are we looking for?'' Draco asked.

''Anything that proves him guilty, shows how he picks his victims, proves -''

''That he's stalking you?''

''What?'' I said turning around. Draco had closed the bedroom door, and on the back of it was every _Daily Prophet_ article ever written about me, alonf with every picture.

''Holy... shit...'' I said. ''We have to move fast''. I turned back to the desk and opened the drawer, it was filled with manila folders, which may have been exactly what I need.

''Mum, I'm home!'' I heard someone downstairs shout.

''Fucker!'' I said under my breath, tucking the files into the top of my pants.

''Oh Eric, Irulan's upstairs, she's a nice girl,'' I heard Mrs. Adams say.

''Come on Draco!'' I said grabbing his hand and diapparating.

This time we reappeared in Auror Headquarters. Harry was standing at his desk and had the phone up to his ear.

''Oh Irulan, I was just about to call you,'' he said, putting the phone down.

''Why?''

''Because there's been another murder,''.

_Hmm... and Eric had just gotten home,_ I thought. ''Well, I narrowly escaped my own personal stalker,'' I said.

''Really, who?'' Harry asked.

''Eric Adams,'' Draco said. ''Also known as Zodiac, also known as the person who was with me at the Spevak's''.

Harry looked between Draco and myself, obviously confused. ''I found the reverse,''.

''Oh, okay'' Harry said slowly.

''I can't go this time, I need to look through these files. Hopefully they're what I need'' I indicated to the folders I just pulled out of the top of my pants.

''Are you sure?''

''yeah, Draco and I are just gonna hang out here for awhile'' I replied.

''Alright, I'll be back later'' Harry said, then he vanished.

I sat down at my desk, Draco pulled up the chair from Ron's desk and sat next to me. ''How long we gonna be here?''

''I don't know yet''.

Chapter 20

''Irulan, hey babe, wake up,'' someone said in my ear.

Opening my eyes, I realized that I had fallen asleep on Eric's files, ''How long've I been asleep?''

''About five, ten minutes,'' Harry replied. ''Here, I got you a cup of coffee''. I took the styrofoam cup from from Harry, taking a hugr gulp which woke me up some.

''I have read the same paragraph, five different times, and I still have no idea what it says,'' I sighed glancing down at the files. The words made absolutely no sense to me, they were dancing all over the page giving me a major migraine in my frontal lobe.

Then suddenly for no reason, I started crying. ''Irulan, are you okay?'' Harry asked.

''Do I look okay to you Harry?'' I blubbered.

He walked over to me and put his arms around my shoulders, ''why are you crying, there's no reason to be sad.''

I glared at him, though I doubt I looked all that threatening with puffy red eyes, ''Who said anything about being sad! I'm crying out of frustration!''

''Why don't you go lay down in the crib?'' he suggested.

''Can't.''

''Why?''

''I sent Draco up there half hour ago,'' I replied. I took a breath, ''What happened at the crime scene?''

''Um, it's the same person that committed the other murder three weeks ago,'' Harry said walking around to his desk then tossing the case file on my desk. I opened the file immediately seeing the picture of someone's back with the symbol for Cancer etched into the skin.

''When the belts in the heavens are seen...'' I repeated quietly to myself.

''What did you just say?'' Harry asked.

''It was three weeks ago, that the other murder was committed right?''

''yeah, why?''

Suddenly, I started sfiting through all the papers on my desk, finally finding a star chart, ''Remember that letter I told you about Harry?''

''What about it?'' he asked.

''It said that twelve of the sign will die when the belts in the heavens are seen. What are the only ''belts'' you know in the heavens?''

''Orion's belt''

''Exactly, and Orion's belt is over...''

''Every three weeks'' Harry finished.

''yep, and he confessed to nine other murders previous these last two, that's eleven of the sign,'' I said pushing the star chart aside, and looking for something else.

''So we have to find out, who the next target is,'' Harry said, he was sounding rather cheery, then again I hadn't told him...

''It could be anyone born under Sagitarius in England,'' I said.

''How d'you know that?'' he asked, his cheery tone gone.

''Look, a Zodiac circle, all of the signs crossed out, except Aries, Cancer and Sagitarius. Aries and Cancer are already dead, now all that's left is any Sagitarius including -''

Harry interrupted, ''you.''

''Including me,'' I nodded.

''Okay, Irulan you need a protective detail,'' Harry said.

''No, I don't want him thinking he's getting to me,'' I said.

''What do we do?'' Harry collapsed into the chair Draco had been sitting not long ago.

''Do we know if any of the victims were imprisoned before he killed them?'' I inquired.

''They weren't''

''Well, then we have three weeks to determine if he's after me, or not'' I leaned my head back as far as it would go.

For some reason, I felt the corners of my lips tug upwards into a grin. I wasn't scared that a killer was targeting me, there was no elaborate plan to destroy the world, no plan to kill a world leader, only a plan to get to me. Why did he go after people under a certain signs? Because I love astrology. It's interesting to think that this first started as an everyday murder case, and now it's turned into a personal vendetta.

My thoughts wandered back to the Adams' house; the various collections that crowded the small house, the pictures and articles of me on the back of the bedroom door._Actually, now that I think about it, the Zodiac circle is a collection within itself,_ I thought, absentmindedly leaning my chair on it's hind legs.

''he's a collector'' I whispered.

''You say something Irulan?'' At hearing Harry's voice, I gasped and my chair lost it's balance causing me to fall backwards.

The back of my head hit the tile floor with a loud crack, causing my eyes to sting with tears. ''Son of a biatch!'' I hollered, clutching the back of my head.

''Holy Shit, Irulan I'm so sorry, I hadn't realized you were leaning back in your chair!'' Harry apologized frantically helping me back to my feet. ''Are you okay?''

''I don't know, I'll tell you when my head stops reeling!'' I said, I took my hand from the back of my head, at least I wasn't bleeding. ''That smarts!''

''That's what you get for leaning back in your chair. I thought McGonagall found a way to make you stop doing that?'' Harry laughed.

''Yeah, put a permanent sticking charm on the legs of my chair'' I said, laughing also.


	11. Chapter 21 and 22

Chapter 21

''I'm gonna go take a shower,'' Draco said when we got home. I only nodded, I hadn't told Draco what I had found out, because I didn't want him to worry. ''Are you alright?''

''Yeah, I-I'm fine.'' I said.

''Don't lie to me Irulan,'' he said walking up to me.

''I'm not lying Draco,'' I said avoiding his gaze.

''You won't even look me in the eye, something's wrong,'' he lifted my chin up with his finger, ''What is it?''

''Have you ever been stalked Draco?''

''Hello! Have you met Parkinson?'' he said.

''True. I hardly consider her a stalker but more of an obsesser,'' I said.

He nodded, ''Guess you're right, but don't worry about Eric, you guys'll find him, that's what you aurors do. And if not, Potter'll save the day like he always does,'' Draco said rubbing my chin with his thumb.

I snorted and pulled my head away, ''This is so much different than any other time don't you see that! It's personal this time, for the first time a case has gotten way out of my control, and for the first time I have no idea what to do!''

I turned away from Draco and walked into the living room, sitting on the couch with my elbows on my knees. Draco followed me and kneeled infront of me.

''Harry wanted me to get a protective detail.''

''You don't need one, I'm not completely useless without a wand you know,'' Draco said making me laugh.

''_You'd_ protect _me_?'' I asked, not quite believing what I was hearing myself.

Draco lifted his gaze, and his eyes locked with mine, he then entwined his fingers in my hair, yet did not look away. ''Till my lasy breath.''

''Why? Why do you care?'' I wondered.

''Would you prefer that I didn't care at all?'' he asked.

''Quit dancing around the subject Mr. Malfoy,'' I said grabbing his hand and removing it from my hair.

''Do you remember that day in sixth year when you ran into my in the corridor?'' he said.

''When I saw that you were cutting yourself?''

''Draco nodded, ''You actually seemed like you cared what happened to me. And for some reason, the knowledge that you didn't hate me, made me never forget that day... or you.''

''You're really starting to scare me Draco. This is so not like you,'' I said.

''People change,'' he whispered as he leaned in, catching my mouth with his. His lips were warm as he kissed me slowly. Resting my hands at the nape of his neck, I leaned backwards so that I wasn't sitting on the edge of the couch and his hands were on either side of my hips.

Draco pulled back and licked his lips, ''I'm going to take my shower now.''

''Alright,'' I replied. He kissed me again and stood up walking out of the living room. I stood up off the couch, walking into the kitchen I made myself a sandwhich and sat at teh kitchen table. I jumped and nearly choked on my sandwhich when Romeo rubbed against my leg, because it scared the shit out of me.

''Hey Romeo,'' I said, he just meowed softly at me. I ripped off a piece of ham from my sandwhich and gave it to him.

Suddenly there was a rapping at the glass of the sliding glass door to the backyard. I turned my head, seeing a barn owl scratching with it's talons. I waved my wand and the door slid open allowing the owl to swoop in, drop a letter in front of me, then leave. I picked up the letter, and I'll be damned if the name on it wasn't mine with the same circle and cross drawn in the corner. I turned over the envelope, broke the wax seal and pulled the letter out...

This is the Zodiac.  
You once thought me a joke.  
What about now?  
Do not be mad with me,  
I am doing this for you...

I stood from the table and rushed into the kitchen stuffing the letter down the disposal. I heard the shower upstairs turn off, and Draco walk out, while I went into the hall closet and grabbed my cloak.

''Irulan, where are you going?'' I turned around, Draco had a towel riding dangerously low on his hips.

''Uh, I'm going into town. I need to get out of here... I-I need a drink.'' I said.

''Let me get dressed, I'll come with you,'' he said.

''No, uh, no, I just really wanna go alone.'' I tried to explain. ''I won't be gone long.''

''Alright, just please be careful,'' Draco said.

''I will,'' I said kissing his lips quickly before I left.

I live not far from the local pub, it's within walking distance from my house. And I now realize, that walking alone was the biggest mistake I have ever made, and I can only blame myself.

Chapter 22

Dracos point of view:

11:47.

It was 11:47 and Irulan still hadn't come back. Yeah, I'm getting worried about her, she said she wouldn't be gone long. I can't help but wonder if something happened to her. I mean, I know she can take care of herself, I've seen her take care of herself when she beat the crap out of Avery. But, Irulan would have at least called if she was going to be gone awhile.

I stood from the couch and walked into the kitchen, hanging on the refridgerator was Potter's cell phone number. ''I can't believe I'm about to do this,'' I said taking the piece of paper off the fridge and picking up the phone. I felt Romeo rub against my leg and looked down, seeing his staring up at me with bright amber eyes, ''What are you looking at?'' He just meowed and walked away.

I dialed Potter's cell and waited for him to answer. ''hello?''

''Potter?''

''Malfoy? How the hell did you get my number!''

''It was on Irulan's fridge, and trust me I wouldn't be calling you if I had a choice'' I said.

''Why are you calling me?'' he demanded.

''I'm worried about Irulan, she hasn't come back yet''.

''Where did she go?''

''she didn't tell me, but she mentioned that she needed a drink and left,'' I said.

''You let her leave by herself?'' he shouted.

''Well, I sure as hell wasn't about to get my ass kicked by trying to stop her!'' I shouted back, then I sighed. ''Okay, arguing is not going to help the situation. We need to figure out where Irulan went''. There was silence on Harry's end of the line. ''Hello?''

Silence.

''Hello?'' then came the dial tone. ''Damnit!'' I shouted slamming the phone onto the reciever.

_Crack_

I turned around, Harry, Ron, and Hermione were all standing in the dining room, which scared the bloody hell out of me. ''You could have warned me you were on your way!''

''How long ago did Irulan leave?'' Harry asked.

''I had just gotten out of the shower, so a few hours ago.'' I replied.

''And you didn't realize anything was wrong?'' Ron shouted.

''Irulan can take care of herself, I never realized that I was supposed to keep an eye on her!'' I shouted, ''Because I was under the impression that _I_ was remanded to _her_ custody, not the other way around.''

''We'll do Irulan little good if we argue amongst ourselves. Harry, Ron, go look for clues outside.'' Hermione said. Grudgingly, Harry and Ron left leaving Hermione and I alone.

The both of us stared at eachother and did not look away as we both sat opposite eachother at the table. ''Why did you call Harry?'' she asked slowly.

''What do you mean?''

''I'm just saying that it's not like you to worry about anyone but yourself,'' she said. I felt the snide comment suddenly fill my head, but managed to holf my tougne, but she was -unfortunately- right; arguing would do Irulan no good.

''People can change... Hermione'' I said calmly.

Her eyes went wide and all color left her face as if she had just crawled out of a car wreck, ''Wh-what did you just call me?''

I smirked, ''Hermione, is that not your name?''

She nodded, ''I'm sorry, but you've always called ''mudblood'' or by my last name. Hearing you actually say my name was just really odd.''

''I told you, people can change,'' I repeated.

''Yeah, I guess you're right,'' she said smiling ruefully.

We sat in silence for a few minutes before Ron and Harry came back. Dumbly, I asked ''Did you find her?''

''If we did, don't you think we'd have her with us?'' Ron said.

''Watch yourself Weasley!'' I said in a warnig tone.

''We did find this though,'' Harry said, holding out a piece of parchment.

''What is it?'' Hermione asked.

''A letter from Zodiac.'' At hearing thi my stomach dropped into the basement, and I put my head in my hands._I shouldn't have let her go by herself! I should have insisted on going with her!_

''Why do you care what happens to her?'' Ron asked seeing my reaction.

''I care about her more than any of you think I do. But I wouldn't expect you to understand.'' I said, and as soon as I did I almost regretted it feeling them staring between myself and eachother. ''Does it say where she is?''

Harry shook his head, ''No, but we've got about three weeks to find her before Zodiac can offically kill her to go along with his pattern.''

''Until then, he can just torture her right?'' I said sarcastically.

''We'll find her,'' Hermione assured me. I couldn't do anything but nod, get up from the table and head up to my room.

I laid down on my bed and stared at the ceiling, wondering, hoping that Irulan was okay or that she somehow managed to escape. I rolled over facing the wall, maybe if I tried to sleep it would take my mind off Irulan. But I knew sleep would not come easily...


	12. Chapter 23 and 24

Chapter 23

_You just had to go get a drink didn't you Irulan? And you just had to go BY YOURSELF! Oh you are brilliant aren't you?_ I thought, sitting in the furthest corner of whatever the hell room I was in, of wherever the hell I was. I just HAD to become an auror because I like adventrue and mystery!_ I should've taken the Ballycastle Bats up on their offer to be their keeper!_ Don't ask me where I was because I had no clue, nothing around me would help much, considering all I see is black in every direction. Because of the vast darkness that consumed the area all around me, I had no sense of time, therefore did not know if I had been there for two hours or five. The good news is, for however long I've been here, I have not been touched other than me being thrown onto the floor. And I'm good as long as no onw touches me, and I know someone is looking for me.

For those that think I'm handling being kidnapped very well...

hahahahaha! Yeah right, I'm trying to calm myself down!

Eric made two mistakes today, the first was kidnapping me, and the second - ''_Accio wand_'' I said, suddenly, I felt my wand in my hand - was putting my wand within range of my voice.

''_Lumos_,'' the tip of my wand ignited, I was in a small dungeon type room, the only way out (that I could see) was a barred door, which is where my wand came in. ''Bloody fucking great!'' I muttered in annoyance. I shone the light from my wand all over the room, finding a vent in the upper right hand corner of the room, and suddenly everything was looking up, hopefully I was small enough to fit through it. Hell, I hoped I was tall enough to reach it!

I stood up, putting my wand in my mouth so I still had some light. I stretched out my arm as far as it would go and still only managed to touch the metal grate that guarded my only excape route, because I figured Eric would have used the _Colloportus_ on the cell door making it impossible for me to open with _Alohomora_.

''Bugger!'' I muttered, removing my wand from my mouth. I walked up to the bars of the celll, and looked out, I thanked my good karma for the stool that was sitting not far from my cell. ''_Accio_'' the stool stopped at my cell, but it was too big for it to fit through the bars. I used the reducing spell so the stool could fit into the palm of my hand.

Setting the stool below the vent, I used an enlarging charm to make the stool three times it's normal size, so I had to crawl on top of the thing before I could actually climb into the vent. It was a bit of a hassle getting in and I scratched my stomach against the edge of the opening.

Problem was, right when I was in, I heard ''I brought you something to eat,'' behind me. I started boot-camp crawling through that vent as fast as I could, but behind me, I heard the tray Eric was carrying clatter to the ground, he cursed loudly before shouting ''You think you can get out of here Irulan? I'll find you long before you find the front door, and you'll come right back to this cell, count on that!''

_Right, how hard could it be to find my way out of a house,_ I thought as another vent came into view about twenty feet away.

I knocked the grate out and jumped out of the vent, landing in a small room which I guessed was the first landing into the basement. ''So far, so good,'' I said to myself as I climbed the next set of stairs.

Draco's Point Of View:

''How long is this going to take?'' I asked pacing the length of the kitchen.

''I don't know, Irulan knows how to prevent us from finding her using Scrying, but occasionally, there's a glitch and we can find her.'' Hermione said circling a crystal over a map.

''Great,'' I said sarcastically. ''Where are Ron and Harry?''

''Looking for locations where a spell has been cast with a wand that has the same core material as Irulan's wand.''

''Okay, I'll pretend that I understood that.'' I said, ''But how will what Harry and Ron are looking for help us find Irulan?''

''Because, we're guessing that she's still somewhere in the country. All we need to do is find a wand with the same core as Irulan's that was made by Mr. Ollivander, and we'll lessen our search area,'' she said glancing up at me then bacl at the map of the world.

Suddenly there were two loud cracks, and Harry and Ron were standing next to the table. ''We have good news and bad news,'' Ron said.

''What's the good news?'' I asked.

''We lessened the search area!''

''The bad news is, we only managed to lessen the search area to England,'' Harry said.

''That's _all_ you found out?'' Hermione said.

''Sue us, there are a lot of people with unicorn hair for wand cores,'' Hermione said. Hermione sighed irritably and I could hear her mumbling under her breath about how she should have just done the research herself.

chapter 24

_What the hell kind of place is this?_ I thought with a slight panic. The house was a lot bigger than I anticipated, and hella confusing. Actually, I don't even know if I can classify this place as a house. All the clocks are stopped at 1:13, I have opened windows that lead into walls, doors that led into walls, and walked up a stair case that lead to a ceiling. _I am going to go crazy before I get out of here!_ I swear I have walked into the same room at least three different times, and went in from three different entrances.

I walked into a room, and opened a safe looking door, I didn't even look down before I stepped, and suddenly there was the feeling of weightlessness. My hand snapped out, instinct driving me faster than thought alone, and before the rational half of my mind could catch up, I grabbed onto the ledge. I yelped in pain as the agonizing jolt in my shoulder told me I nearly tore the muscles there causing me to swing around so my other hand could grab the ledge as well. Before I could think about my near brush with death, I was already pulling myself up, cursing my strong yet wiry muscles.

''Holy shit,'' I said gasping for breath, as I backed away from the door. That was nearly a two story drop, I just survived. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, I'm gonna die of a heartattack from this place. ''Okay, just keep calm everyone is probably looking for you by now,'' I muttered standing up and walking out of the room.''I'm putting this room under must avoid.''

I walked down a flight of stairs that winded forty-four times, that only went down nine feet, yeat I found myself on the next lowest floor, this house is so weird. The odd thing was, the next floor, just led to a door that was about five feet high. Opening the door, I found a passageway, what could it hurt? I walked through the small passageway, it was so eerily quiet, I couldn't help but start panicking a bit. The passage was about five feet high so I had to duck my head, and about two feet wide, giving little room for movement.

I held my wand infront of me, the best I could, until I came to a wall. I felt along the wall, finding the cracks of a door, I tried to push it, but it wouldn't budge, then I flung myself against it, oh it opened and also sent me airborn, landing eight feet below in a kitchen. That's not all, I landed on a table managing to get a knife embedded into the artery in my thigh. _I think this house has about killed my good karma,_ I thought, removing the knife and putting pressure on the wound because there's a major artery in both your thighs and upper arms that if punctured deep enough with a large enough object you could bleed to death.

Blood still seeped from under my hand and I realized that I didn't have my wand anymore, it was three feet away from me.

''Great,'' I said laying on the floor and reaching for my wand. I scooted closer, finaly wrapping my hand around the end of it. Sitting back up, I had to pull my pants down to get a good look at the wound. ''_Ferula!_'' instantly my leg was bandaged, but I was weak from the amount of blood I had already lost. I felt my breathing start to slow, and everything would alternate from double to normal, I tried to stand, but fell back against a cabinet. Suddenly, everything seemed unreal, the kitchen was swirling, all the colors blending together. I couldn't take it anymore, I closed my eyes, not caring if Eric found me, because if he did he'd at least take care of the wound (I hope). Eventually, I felt my hands and feet go numb, then... Nothing...

''Irulan, Irulan can you hear me?''

I opened my eyes, at first the ligh stung and everything was cloudy, but I blinked a few times and everything focused; I was in a hospital room in St. Mungo's. Hermione stood next to the bed, stroking my hair back, Harry stood by the window, and Ron was sleeping in a chair but -

''Where's Draco?'' I asked, my voice hoarse.

''He went to get something to drink,'' Hermiome replied.

''How did you find me? And where was I?''

''You were in Westbury. That bandaging spell you did on yourself, caused Hermione's crystal to drop when she was scrying for you.'' Harry said smiling at me. ''I'm glad you're alright Irulan,'' he walked up to me and kissed my forhead.

''That house was freaking huge! I thought I was never going to get out,'' I said.

''We know, believe me,'' Harry said.

''It had 160 rooms, 10,000 windows, 13 bathrooms, 52 skylights, 40 bedrooms, 2 ballrooms, 2 basements, 40 staircasesm 450 dorrways, 47 fireplaces, and 6 kitchens; You were in kitchen number 4 Irulan.'' Hermione said.

''Did you count all that?'' I asked.

Hermione laughed, ''No, we found the blueprints''.

''Dear Lord, no wonder Eric said he'd find me before I found the front door!'' I said.

The door to my room opened, and Draco walked in carrying a cup from the tea room, but when he saw that I was awake, he dropped the cup spilling it's contents onto the floor, and walked to the bed before hugging me. ''Are you alright?''

''I'm fine, and am I to believe that you helped them find me?'' I asked. Draco's cheeks turned a light shade of pink and he nodded. I smiled and pulled Draco by the back of his head kissing him hard on the mouth. I didn't care that Harry and Hermione were watching and thankfully, neither did Draco.

''Oh that is something I do not want to see when I first wake up!'' Ron shouted in horror. Draco and I pulled away from eachother and started laughing along with Harry and Hermione...


	13. Chapter 25 and 26

Chapter 25

''Irulan, you're supposed to be on leave,'' I turned around, Kingsley was walking up to my desk where I sat.

''I know, I just wanted to write up my report for Hermione since she's going to Wizengamot tomorrow,'' I said.

''You really want to nail that bastard don't you?'' he asked, leaning against my desk.

''I want to nail them all, but Hermione hasn't been to Wizengamot in a long time, now I love Hermione very, very, much but as a Counsiler she sucks!'' I said.

''I'm not gonna say anything because I know it'll get me in trouble'' Kingsley said. ''Well, hurry up and finish, I'm headed home.''

''Tell little Ashleigh I said hi'' I said.

''Will do,'' Kingsley said.

I stayed at headquarters a few more hours finishing my report of the events that happened nearly two weeks ago before I went home. Draco was already asleep when I got back so I just changed into my pajamas and climbed in next to him before I fell asleep...

''Where were you last night?'' Draco asked the next morning.

''I was at headquarters, writing up my report, why?'' I asked.

''Well, while you were doing that, I just about insinerated that... whatchamacallit... the big, loud, thing that sucks up everything,''

''You mean Ron?''

''Huh?''

''Nothing, you mean the vaccuum?''

''Yeah, that thing!'' he said, while Draco went into a tangent about useless muggle devices the phone rang.

''Hello?''

''Irulan, you are not going to believe it! I won!''

''Hermione? That's great! What was the verdict?''

''Guilty on all charges, the Dementor's Kiss will be admisitered this Friday''

''Is Harry there with you?''

''yeah here... Harry, Irulan wants to talk to you''

''Hello?'' said Harry.

''Hey, I need you to do me a favor. Arrange an interview...''

**-Two hours 'til execution- **

''What time is it?'' he asked, laying his head on the table.

I glanced down at my watch, ''You've got two hours''

''You two are boring me'' he said.

''Well, you're not going anywhere until you tell us why you targeted my partner'' Harry said, sitting across from him.

He smiled, a twisted, menical smile. ''You and all your little friends must thing you're something special, being the first pick out of auror training, passing with flying colors''

''She did it too'' Harry said, pointing to me. I was leaning back against the wall with my arms crossed over my chest.

''She's not like you, don't group her in with you'' he sneered, like it actually offended me to be grouped with Harry.

''How am I not like them?'' I asked.

He didn't look at me, but continued to stare straight at Harry, ''The first time I saw her in the Daily Prophet, it was announcing that The-Boy-Who-Lived had graduated auror training extremeluy early along with his four best friends. Ron, Hermione, and even you were just loving the attention, but Irulan stood back.'' he explained. _Idiot, he'll never know the reason I stood back was because I was talking to someone,_ I thought, with a roll of my eyes.

''How did that make her different?'' Harry asked.

''Because it meant that she didn't want all of the attention she deserved. She's really the reason you and your friends are so famous now a days, she's the reason you get so many collars. Her and I are one in the same'' he said.

''You're a murderer, that's the difference between you and I'' I said. ''You framed Draco Malfoy, you manipulated us...''

''I knew I had to talk to her, meet her face to face. All those years in the orphanage, I never got up the courage to talk to her, but I'd win her, Draco's not good enough for her''

''And what, you are?'' Harry said.

''This interview is over'' I said, pressing a button on the wall. A buzzer sounded through the interview room, which should have called the guards, but they never came.

''Relax, the guards are changing shifts'' he said.

''Harry, get up from the table!'' I shouted. Harry didn't move quick enough, he threw the table, lifting it from the underside, knocking Harry back.

It all happened so quickly, that the next thing I knew, he had me by the throat. ''I will have you, if it's the last thing I do'' he growled in my ear.

I struggled to get out of his grip, to remove his hand from my throat, but that's kind of hard when someone is squeezing your trechea (trey-ki-ah). My vision started becoming blurred as he lifted me up from the wall and slammed the back of my head back into the wall. Pain exploded from the back of my head and traveled through out my body. He did this two more times before Harry had gotten the table off him, and shouted, ''_Incarcerous!_'' ...

''Ron, if you hit her in the back of the head one more time, it's going to wake her up, and she's going to hit you ten times harder!''

''You might wanna listen to Hermione, Ron, remember what Irulan did to Fred and George?'' ...

Chapter 26 -final-

''Ron, if you hit her in the back of the head one more time, it's going to wake her up, and she's going to hit you ten times harder!''

''You might wanna listen to Hermione, Ron, remember what Irulan did to Fred and George?''

My hand snapped out, and I grabbed Ron's arm twisting it, ''Why are you hitting me?'' I demanded.

''Because, we're almost to the station and you were sleeping like a baby,'' Ron said as I let go of his arm.

''Oh well, here -'' I smacked Ron in the back of the head.

''Told you!'' Hermione said, Ron glared at her.

I turned to Harry, ''Have I been sleeping the entire ride?''

''Yeah, why?''

''Harry, I had the wildest dream, and it felt so real, you wouldn't believe me if I told you.'' I siad.

''Try me,'' he said.

''Not now, I'll you later,'' I said.

''Okay,'' he said resting his hand on my knee and squeezing. I smiled and leaned my head against the cool glass of the window.

I would have sworn on my life that dream was real. Everything in it felt real, the pain, the happiness, the helplessness, even the feelings that I had for Draco. Perhaps it was merely an elaborate illusion my suconsious displayed... or maybe it was a vision of sorts. I gently shook my head, my subconsious would not, could not create that entire life for my friends and I, because I don't think that far ahead. It was only last year that Draco had kissed me, had that maybe caused my dream? _Irulan, you're being riddiculous!_ I scolded myself. But, as much as I hated to admit it, I did have some feelings for Draco, and after that dream these feelings did not help the situation I was having. Dear Lord, I can only imagine what the three of them are going to say when and if I tell them about my dream.

''We're here!'' Hermione said as the train pulled to a stop. I took a deep breath as we left our compartment, it would be a hard year on the Seventh years because it was our last year here, and Hogwart's has been like our home away from home. Well, for Harry and I, it is our home.

As I stepped off the train, I saw Draco not far ahead. My breath caught, and instantly, I knew that I wanted my dream to come true (minus the whole Zodiac thing of course). Now, I don't remember this next part, but from what Harry, Ron, Hermione, and other eyewitnesses have told me, I shouted Draco's name which caused him to turn around. Then I ran through the masses of people not caring who I knocked down in the processm threw my arms around his neck and kissed him. I DO remember kissing him, and I pulled back and looked him in the eyes.

''What was that for?'' he asked, sounding almost offended.

''Because, I don't hate you, I never could and I never will,'' I said. I could faintly hear everything going on around us, the whispers, the outraged screaming (mostly done by Pansy), Hermione fainting.

Draco smiled slightly and ran his fingers through my hair before he leaned down pressing his lips to mine. Everything seemed so childish in that moment, the six years of name calling and empty threats, the famous Malfoy smirk and eyebrow raise. I don't think anyone really ever got over what they saw that day, expecially Harry, but damn was it worth it to see the looks on everyone's faces!

...''Irulan, wake up, you're going to be late for school!'' my mom screamed.

''Alright, I'm up!'' I shouted, as I rolled over waking up from my bizarre dream. 6:30 AM stared back at me from the alarm clock. ''Oh shit, I am gonna be late!'' I threw my covers off me, and jumped out of bed before I started getting dressed. Quickly, I ran a brush through my hair, not looking where I was walking and stepped on something. Looking down, I saw that it was Harry Potter and The Half-Blood Prince it had fallen from my bed when I got up. I picked up the book and placed it on my desk, _that is the last time, I read a Harry Potter book before I fall asleep!_ I thought putting the brush ontop of the book and running downstairs... Back to boring, non-magical reality for me!


End file.
